The Last Glaive
by Alicy-sunberg
Summary: "King Noctis." While he was walking in the streets of Altissia, he heard a female voice calling his name. He turned around to see a woman, with brown messy hair, dark eyes, a leather jacket and jeans. "Pleased to finally meet you, Your MAjesty. My name is Crowe Altius, Kingsglaive, and appointed to Lady Lunafreya's protection by King Regis. We've been expecting you."
1. Prologue

**A good day to you, pals. I suppose I am not the only one who was outraged to see the lack of development on one of the very few female characters of this FF series, even though she looked positively amazing? Good. Because this fic is about fixing this. The main goal is to put a very much alive Crowe in the Final Fantasy XV story, in the most accurately possible way. Even while trying to fill the actual plot holes. It's going to be tough but I think it can be interesting, so bear with me if you can! We're on for a "fun" ride! Also, If some of my sentences look weird to you that's normal, English is not my mother tongue. Don't hesitate to point out mistakes if you see some, that'd be a huge help, since I don't have a Beta reader for this.**

 **This fic will go through both Kingsglaive and the FFXV game, so it's preferable if you've seen both. Then again it's going to retell a lot of those plots so perhaps you won't feel too lost, I hope. Enjoy the read! :)**

Prologue

"Maaan, this city is out of this world," Prompto Argentum marveled while looking frantically at every building around the corner. "Look at all this water and the decorations! Everything is pretty here!"

"It's even more appreciable when you know that they have been dealing with the rise of the sea level brilliantly over the last century," Ignis Scientia commented. "Other cities would be underwater by now, but they managed to redirect the tides and even use it as a source of energy."

"I wonder if they'll still be able to do that after the Covenant, though," Gladiolus Amicitia pointed out. "If it's going to be like the Titan, I don't think they'll handle it."

"Let's just hope that it doesn't come to that," Noctis Lucis Caelum sighed. "For now I just want to rest."

"I hear ya there."

"Agreed."

"Good idea."

Altissia was definitely an amazing place. Both allying canals and old buildings, the main mean of transport being the boats that sailed through the city, with water falls and fountains at every corner of the streets, the capital of Accordo was still flourishing in trade and tourism even though war was tearing the neighboring country of Lucis apart.

The city was gorgeous and glorious looking, nothing seemed to be able to trouble it, but that perfectness and tranquility bothered Noctis in a strange way. He felt uncomfortable, being in such a peaceful place (even if under Imperial surveillance) when the ashes of his home town Insomnia, and the rest of his kingdom were not done burning. And somewhere in his mind, he doubted that this tranquility defined the real state of mind of the Altissians citizens. They were very good at keeping up the appearances, though.

They were visiting the city while trying to get some information about the Oracle, Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, who would make her speech next morning.

He wanted to see her so bad... Luna was constantly in his mind, he just couldn't get her out of it. He was so used to it it wasn't even distracting anymore. His eagerness pushed him forward while walking in the streets, asking anyone willing to answer.

Such as Cid's old bud, Wakham, who told him as much as he could, and introduced him to the first secretary of Accordo, Camelia Claustra, who asked him to come by her office to discuss some things about the Oracle.

They were walking towards the nearest hotel, completely exhausted and the sun setting on the ocean, when he heard a female voice calling his name :

"King Noctis."

He turned around to see a woman, with brown messy hair, dark eyes, a leather jacket and jeans. Hands in her back, in a to-attention attitude contrasting with her casual clothes, she had a serious look on her face, but there was a light in her eyes that looked like some kind of relief.

"Pleased to finally meet you, Your Majesty." A slight emphasis on the "finally". "My name is Crowe Altius, Kingsglaive, and appointed to Lady Lunafreya's protection by King Regis. We've been expecting you."

Speechless, Noctis looked at her and did so for several long seconds, so did his friends. He knew that many members of the Kingsglaive betrayed his father, so at some point he convinced himself that there wasn't anymore faithful men at his side, except for the Crownsguard. He remembered the selfie Luna printed and put between the pages of their diary. He had no idea who the woman next to her driving the car on the photo was, but Luna was smiling at the camera and he assumed she was safe, so even though he wondered who she was, he didn't fret about it. Now that he knew, he was totally caught of guard. When he met Libertus Ostium in Galahd with other Crownsguards, the man assured him that Luna was safe, before going back into battle.

Under the stare of her new King, the woman called Crowe looked positively fidgety and uncomfortable. She cleared her throat loudly to get some reaction out of him.

"You're the person that accompanied Luna," he realized out-loud slowly. "She sent me a photo of you in the notebook..."

"That lady is a Kingsglaive?!" Prompto exclaimed, incredulous.

She had a tired smile while rolling her eyes. She muttered something that sounded like : "She'll be the death of me..."

"I specifically told her not to send any picture, but hey, when did she ever listened to me..." she mumbled.

She spoke of Luna with a lot of familiarity, he hadn't heard anyone talk about her in such a way, except for himself. It was intriguing, to say the least.

"Looks like some of King Regis faithful men managed to get out of the city," Ignis said.

"Barely," she snorted bitterly. "My friend Libertus and I were the only ones that I know of. Sorry to disappoint you, Sir," she apologized.

"Libertus..." Gladio wondered. "Ostium, right ? We met the guy near Galahd with the Marshal..."

"I'm glad to hear that, Sir," she confessed with a bit of relief in her voice. "Her Highness and me were afraid he wouldn't make it there. So I guess he already told you everything about Insomnia, then?"

"We had to get out of Galahd quickly, we didn't have exactly the time to chit-chat," Prompto said.

"The Marshal still managed to fill us in, though not very thoroughly, I'm afraid," Ignis added.

"I suppose that's understandable. Well... If you're interested in that, I can tell you everything I know about it." She added grimly : "I was there to see it all... It wasn't pretty, that's for sure..."

"Where is Luna ?" Noctis asked, finally to change the subject.

Still at attention, Crowe Altius looked back at him :

"She's safe, Your Majesty. Between the Niffs and the Accordians, I doubt she can be in a safer place right now."

"So... How exactly are you protecting her, then?" Gladio asked sarcastically.

She gave him a confident smile.

"By not being noticed by them. I can be more discreet than you can probably think, Sir."

"...Right." Noctis said, unimpressed. "So, Crowe, right ? Why are you here and not by Luna's, then?"

"To be honest, I thought you might find interesting a detailed report on what went on in the City, since my companions and me were directly confronted to the situation there. And I needed to ask for a favor, after telling you about all of this," she added while slightly bowing her head.

Noctis stared at her again and he turned to Ignis :

"What do you think? Should we listen to her?"

"It's worth a try, I suppose. The Marshal informed us as best as he could but that was not exactly satisfying. The intel she can give us will probably be useful."

"Alright then," the young king concluded. "Crowe, let's discuss this elsewhere. I don't think this is the sort of stuff to discuss out on the streets."

"Couldn't agree more, Majesty," the Kingsglaive nodded, as they followed them in the hotel.

As they sat in the restaurant, Crowe Altius began her tale :

"I was recruited by the Kingsglaive around five years ago. Feels like another lifetime... Before that, I was born in a village, near the East border of Lucis, not too far from Galahd actually. My home and family were destroyed by an Imperial raid, and so I was homeless for a long time until I met my new family. Libertus and Nyx Ulric. Another member of the Kingsglaive. Its best, actually. But we'll get on to that later."

After a sip of her drink, she went on :

"The three of us were selected in Galahd to fill the new ranks of the Kingsglaive, Nyx had already lost his sister, at that time, and was ready to kick some Imperial asses. I should probably point out the fact that your father, Majesty, had saved Nyx from a daemon attack while he was touring the country. So Libertus, Nyx and I were recruited in the Kingsglaive much later. And then we were sent on the front lines, and it all started there. We defended the City and our homes outside of it. Many of us actually didn't give two shits about the city though. We had other stuff in mind such as our families and home countries and stuff like that. "For hearths and homes", we used to say. And most of the people that see our uniforms when walking in the streets in Insomnia were all solid ungrateful bastards. Then again we didn't do that for them. Nyx was the most patriotic out of us, probably due to the fact that King Regis saved him. Probably the only one that truly trusted him... And we should have... Had we trusted him, many of the things that happened in Insomnia would've been avoided, I think..."

Crowe at some point sounded really tired, even though she didn't look like it physically. She glanced several time at Noctis but he looked focused on her. If he flinched at the mention of his father, he didn't show it. He merely smiled when she said he saved Nyx.

"Anyways...", she went on. "I guess it all started on the West frontline. The last real battle against the Niffs when we actually had a kind of hold on. Emphasis on the "kind of"."


	2. 1 : Battlefield

Chapter 1 : Battlefield

Flavia, Gracia and Bonny stood next to her on the wall, arms up in the air, trying to maintain the balance of the spell. Crowe was fine but she could feel her friends' hands tremble with focus and exhaustion. A few miles away, the clouds were gathering above the Imperial troops that were moving quickly through the small town. A cold sweat dropped rolled from her forehead, and she tried to fight the strain of her mind with a smile.

"Crowe!" yelled Pelna Khara in her ear. "Is it ready yet? We're not gonna hold for long!"

"Almost there!" she answered impatiently.

Geez, bunch of ungrateful whiny little jackasses, she'd like to see them try that shit, oh wait, they would all be hurling their guts out even before the end of the first spell...

"Crowe, wavered Bonny next to her, I'm sorry, honey... I can't..."

She had a glimpse of the lifeless body of her sister-in-arms falling on the floor, before feeling her absence in the spell. She just had the time to glance at her tired scarred brown face, her empty green eyes, her curly black hair sprawled around her head, before an incredible weight fell on their shoulders, and their stable stances wavered.

"Bonny, NO!" she cried.

She took off her hood and stepped in the middle between Gracia and Flavia. Slowly, Crowe went on the casting, reestablishing some kind of balance between Gracia, Flavia and herself. She couldn't feel her arms, she didn't even know with what strength they were still up in the air.

"Hold on, girls! For Bonny!" she called up to them. "Let there be light!"

Her friends gave her little laughters, strained by focus and exhaustion but still alive. It was when she heard the voice of Libertus shouting her name that she felt the heat in the air. With a victorious smile, she let go of the fire in the sky and the tornado formed itself, blazing through the clouds in an infernal glory.

"YES!"

Now that the hardest part was done, the tornado needed to last, but with one down...

Gracia, beautiful sweet Gracia, with her blond hair and her freckles fell down without any warning next to Bonny. She didn't have the time to call her name, the power of the tornado whipped in every muscles of her body, burning through her like a forest fire in a hot summer day, and she felt she wouldn't last long before exploding.

So... With two down, they couldn't restrain the tornado so that it wouldn't absorb their own ranks... How were they going to do that?

Crowe violently shook her head, as she heard the voices of all her brothers-in-arms being taken by the storm.

Did she hear herself think? Did she seriously thought that no one among the Kingsglaive would be burned by the tornado? Who was she kidding!

But she heard Libertus calling Nyx, and she instantly thought about them.

"Come on, girl! Hold for them, hold! For hearths and homes, for hearths and homes." she told herself.

"To all the troops out there," she heard Drautos voice in her earphone. "Retreat and come back home this is an order."

Alright, that's some good news. Let's get that shit burning... Hold up, what?! Retreat?! But she just finished the damn fire storm...

Flavia's body hit the floor, her long black braid escaping her hood, and she didn't even get the time to truly see her as a giant shadow appeared at the other side of the battlefield. Crowe, merely a walking exhausted shell, watched as the Diamond Weapon, the ultimate daemon under Imperial control, opening its giant armor, and hundred of thousand of missiles exploded out of it and rained over the little town and the Lucian army. The fire storm was starting to fade.

"Retreat!" yelled Pelna on the wall.

He ran towards her, and stopped at the sight of her three mage comrades, dead from exhaustion lying on the ground around her. She was focused on the gigantic daemon, destroying everything on its path in the distance, and more importantly, searching for her brothers, Nyx and Libertus, she suddenly saw the former running toward the beast.

"NYX!"

"Come on, Crowe, we have to get out of here..." Pelna pressed her by taking her arm.

"Pelna, he's not back yet! NYYYYYX!"

"Luche, you were with Nyx," Pelna contacted with his earplug."Where the hell did he run off too !?"

"Saving everyone, as always", answered a very annoyed Luche on the other side. "Libertus is stuck under a rock and he left to help him."

"What?!" Crowe exclaimed. "Libertus' still out there?!"

"We can't take care of them right now!" Luche shouted in their ears. "Our survival is top priority, and right now, this order will be hard to execute if every single bastard go to save another!"

He had a little sight. Then said :

"And it's the Hero we're talking about. He'll manage."

Pelna snorted and Crowe finally followed him willingly. The tone the second in command of the Kingsglaive employed while speaking about Nyx convinced her to calm down. Indeed, Nyx might be a simple Galahdian citizen, but he was the best Kingsglaive its troops ever had, and he was quite good at creating miracles. Unlikely, random, miracles.

With a last look towards her fallen comrades, covered by the shadow of the Diamond Weapon, the shapes of their bodies lighten by the flashes of explosions, she followed Pelna to the main camp.

"We can't even bring them back home..." she muttered weakly.

"They died for hearths and homes," Pelna said while putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. "They're home, now."

Still unconvinced, Crowe nodded slightly.

Finally, after long torturous minutes of waiting at the camp, Crowe heard a shout coming from above the wall, then another. Near her feet, a throwing dagger planted itself solidly. Then another. The next second, Nyx Ulric and Libertus Ostium appeared in an explosion of burning violet ashes, on their knees, and positively panting.

"Hey, Crowe," breathed the Hero with a pathetic, cocky smile. "What's up?"

"What's up?!" she yelled, incredulous. "Don't you "What's up?" me, you idiot! Do you know how worried I was? You'll be the death of me, both of you! How are you, Bert? What's with your leg?"

"Crushed by a fifty-ton rock is what!" grumbled Libertus, before pointing up a finger in a "hold on" kind of gesture, and turning on his flank to hurl his guts.

"It weighted two tons, at best." Nyx snorted.

"Well...", Crowe sighed. "I'm glad you're both okay, but Drautos' here, Nyx. He looked kinda pissed about you going off on your own."

While he swore, he extended his hand towards her, and she helped him up.

"Help me with Libertus, Crowe. Let's get him back up."

"Right. Come on, big guy!"

Slowly, they took each arm of their friend above their shoulders and they brought him back on his foot. They walked carefully, while carrying Libertus to the camp.

"Where are the girls?" Nyx asked to Crowe. "I don't see them around..."

"They didn't make it..." she confessed, sadness overwhelming her all of the sudden. "The weight of the spell on them was too great to bear... We weren't prepared enough..."

Nyx and Libertus remained silent, mourning with her the loss of their comrades, Flavia, Bonny, and Gracia.

When they stumbled on a rock, they nearly let go of Libertus who winced loudly at the shock. Crowe told him to "stop being such a pussy" and Nyx let out a hearty laughter.

Up on the hill of the camp, Drautos and Luche were examining the battlefield with binoculars. After dropping Libertus to the infirmary, Crowe turned around to see what they were looking at...

"Looks like Nifflheim troops are retreating, Sir," she heard Luche report.

Wait, what? Retreating? The hell? They had the advantage, didn't they? Why were they retreating?

"Kingsglaive!" Drautos called out to the troops near the vans. "The citizens were all safely evacuated! We're moving out! Prepare to leave at once!"

"Commander?"

Drautos turned around to face Crowe who was approaching him.

"Vane, Eterna, and Pedra's bodies are still on the wall. Requesting permission to retrieve them, Sir?" she asked, referring to her sisters-in-arms.

"We'll have another team take care of that, Altius." Drautos answered, looking at her sympathetically. "For now, go to your team and rest. You did well, soldier."

She accepted his compliment with a nod. He passed by her with a pat on her shoulder while she turned to look at the wall they were trying to protect.

"Did well", huh? She wanted to believe it... Had their fire storm actually been useful? Perhaps it killed a high-ranked officer, sent tumbling a great number of enemy troops... How could she know...? She was so confused, so tired...

Gods was she tired.

She turned back towards the vans, leaving one by one for Insomnia. Libertus left in one of the firsts. Nyx was waiting for her with Pelna and Luche, he had a little talk with Drautos and he looked really pissed off. She was going to ask him about it. Unless she slept the whole trip away, which was more likely to happen.

She gave a last look to the small town where the battle happened, deserted and destroyed, with half of it fallen in the dark of the gigantic breech.

So much for hearths and homes...


	3. 2 : Imperial goodwill

Chapter 2 : Imperial goodwill

"Shit!" Crowe swore while dodging Nyx's kick.

She rolled aside and got back up as he was coming at her again. She dodged his fist with a back flip arching her back, landing on her hands and sent her legs flying to get him away from her. As she got on her feet again, she sprinted aside, Nyx went after her. Fists flew towards her face, she evaded them all just in time, deviating with the flat of her hands as fast as she could. Precise and ruthless, Nyx kicked her in the guts, she coughed her breath out, stunned by the strike, and raised her hand in surrender.

"Crowe," Nyx sighed. "You have to expect anything from the enemy! I mean acrobatics are fine and all but you have to defend properly too, and from any kind of attacks."

"Right," she breathed as he extended his hand towards her. "Like this one?"

In one swift movement, she took his hand, pivoted under his arm, pulled him above her shoulder and flipped the man over her own body and sent him flying down the floor, all of that in less than a second. Nyx was lying on his back, breath short and looking at Crowe with an annoyed face, as she sent him a victorious smile.

"I'd say," she breathed,"do what you preach, brother."

Nyx groaned. Then turned on his flank, planted his hands on the ground as a pivot point and sent his own legs twirling under her feet. Unbalanced, Crowe pathetically fell on her back.

"You can damn bet I will!" Nyx snorted. "So... you still wanna go for that shit again or you done getting yourself beaten over and over and over...?"

"Cut your crap, smartass," she laughed. "I still got you once. And you're the best Kingsglaive at close-hand combat!"

"Yeah well... Boast all you want... I still win."

They left the training grounds while talking about their session.

"So yeah, you need to work on your defense, but other than that, it's pretty decent," Nyx concluded as they sat on a bench in the locker room.

"Yeah," she mumbled then she made a face. "You're right, though... It's not sufficient. Now that there's so much less of us, I can't always count on you and Bert to have my back... Shit, I miss the girls so much..."

She rested her forehead on her clenched fists, while sighing loudly. Nyx wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"You think Luche's right?" she asked after a while. "About the Niffs, I mean..."

"He's always been the sharpest one out of us, it's worth thinking about, I guess..." he mumbled, not wanting to believe it himself.

Last night their team reunited at their usual partying spot at Yama-chan's. They talked about the weird retreat of Niflheim's troops. And Luche told them about the envoy they sent in front of King Regis, and that he was demanding Lucis' surrender, calling the retreat "a gesture of imperial good will".

"They played with us!" Luche had said. "They won!"

They had manage to change the subject at some point, drinking a toast to all their dead comrades. Libertus insisted that he would never surrender. No one answered him, not wanting to fuel another argument, but everyone agreeing with him in silence... Yet their blades belonged to the King, to Lucis. They would have to kneel in front of the decision of their ruler.

Niflheim had taken so much... He didn't want to believe that it was all lost forever.

"I have to leave you, I promised I'd go train with the others, have a bit of a warp session," he finally said while getting up and taking his sport bag.

"Right. See you later then," she smiled. "And Nyx..."

He turned around, fingers hooked in his jacket thrown over his shoulder, to look at her with an eyebrow raised.

"Thanks... For the sparring, I mean. It felt good, doing that again. It's been a while since we last did that."

"Anytime, slowpoke. See you at HQ."

"You got it."

After he left, she fell down on the whole length on the bench, and thought about their lost ones. Her lost ones. Bonny, Flavia and Gracia, her parents back in her village, and then Portia...

Crowe thought a lot about Portia these last few days. Portia Smith, former Main Casting Kingsglaive, one of the most powerful servant of King Regis that awoke under his power. She was the most wickedly strong Mage in the short history of the elite troops and was her instructor, back in the day. Portia taught her everything she knew, without her, mastering the power she had now would still be a dream.

Portia Smith died on a sunny day, on the Northern front lines. She casted an ice spell, one of the most difficult to master, in order to protect her brothers and sisters Kingsglaives while they ran back to Insomnia after loosing a battle. Hundreds of daemons were running after them when she decided to get down of her van as they were passing through a tunnel. And when they left, she casted the spell. Rumor had it that if you'd go passing through the North tunnel, you would see an army of frozen daemons, full of teeth and claws, surrounding the immobile silhouette of a woman in the Kingsglaive mage uniform, arms extended apart of her, palms oriented skyward, offering her body in a prayer to the Glacian. Prayer that was granted. Some brave souls, namely Crowe, Bonny and Nyx, went into the tunnel, confronting the cold and icy gallery she formed and went in front of her to see her closed eyes, her edgy beautiful features, full of scars, her lips slightly open as if trying to whisper something, her curly black hair frozen into a beautiful floating mess around her face. Portia Smith had always been gorgeous, and it would stay that way. Needless to say the tunnel stayed impracticable and still was even after three years.

Crowe had made her report for the first time in front of the King around that time, to tell him of the situation in the tunnel. King Regis had expressly requested her presence as she was going to be Portia's successor, leader of the mage team, and he had wanted to meet her. When she finished her report at that time, the King gave her a look of sympathy.

"I don't think even I can achieve such prowess now... An amazing woman she was, that's for certain."

Then he had asked her :

"Crowe Altius, I suspect you were very close to her?"

"She was my mentor, Sire," she had bowed her head while answering. "Everything I know I learnt it from her. I would be nothing without her."

The King had nodded.

"It is a shame, truly... She was such a talented element... I suspect the spell will start to wear off... Possibly after my death," the King added grimly. "It will then be possible to retrieve the body..."

Crowe shot her head up to face her sorrowful King.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, if you were to die and I would still be alive to retrieve her body, she would actually come back from the dead to yell at my incompetence. Please, don't say something like that again. You still have long years to go. And blessed be the Six, they will be numerous."

She had felt the glare of Drautos on her, but the King had merely laughed.

"I apology. My words must have sounded disrespectful, and nothing can be further from the truth. Your honesty is appreciable, Kingsglaive. I do remember PortiaSmith talking to me in such a way. In that aspect, you're very much like her. Indeed it is war but... I just wish she wouldn't have died alone like this."

Crowe had shaken her head then smiled sadly.

"No, Sire. I don't think she would've wished for another death. She always loved the dramatics," she added with a wavering voice. "And I cannot see myself die another death than while protecting my King."

"... Be it as it may, then," he had sighed. "In that case, I look forward to work with you, Crowe Altius. Thank you for your words. You may leave now. Go rest."

The King had sounded moved by her words while he had thanked her. Then she had been scolded by the commander for her insolence and all of that, but he still patted her shoulder when she started to cry. The King's kindness had moved her too.. And pulverized all the barriers that she rose in order to not break down in front of her fellow Kingsglaives. So much for that...

Crowe had loved Portia like a daughter, even though she was quite severe when it came to training, and could be a real cunt sometimes. She had formed all of Crowe's generation to magic and other spell casting.

And now, there was only three left of her fellow teammates. In the last three years, everyone died, and there was left of the Kingsglaive forty or so individuals, when at the beginning they were one hundred and fifty... This war had taken a lot. And was still taking. Crowe kind of liked her King, he looked sweet... But she was starting to get tired of it...

Nyx went back to the main training ground not too far from where they had fought. They had sparred in one of the small gyms near their barracks, but for all the warping business, they went to what they called the Pit. A very high and narrow stone arena, with a pillar at its center that they used to throw their knives at and teleport on.

Nyx was part of the fighting corp they called the Warpers, that focused on mobility on the battle field. Libertus was part of the Axes, focused on striking strong and true, defending when the enemy got too close, those ones stayed on the ground but were hitting directly, as a distraction on the front lines while the Warpers would cause mayhem at more advanced and strategic points. The Mages, that she was part of, provided support and heavy-hitting business. All three fighting corps had roughly the same basic range of spells such as invisibility or thunder, but over than that, their training was fundamentally different from the others. The Warpers had to focus on their sense of orientation and balance when using their teleporting blades, in order to limit the sometimes inevitable vomiting to the minimum and still stay sharp. For now, Nyx was the only one that managed to warp for hours and hours without hurling his guts. Luche, the second in command, managed the tactical aspect brilliantly by using the warping to move around as he pleased and still got an over-all view of the mess with his mobility.

The Axes had to learn strength in their strikes and their defenses and make sure they stood their grounds against bigger daemons. They could act on solo more easily than the Warpers, for example. The Warpers needed mostly to get around two by two or in small groups, in case one started to break down, others could watch over him. Nyx, him again, was the only solo cowboy among the Warpers, he could manage on his own easily.

Finally the mages were focused on support, spell casting and sometimes strategy reading. They had to work on their stamina to be able to produce as many spell as possible, and master a focus beyond normal requirements in order to form the most intricate of combinations. They relied much more on team work than the Warpers, for it was what made them deadly.

But they were fragile, and needed to be able to get away quickly if the enemy got too close. Or as Portia used to say :

"Here is how a good mage is supposed to act. First, spell casting. If that doesn't work, second, defend. And if that doesn't work, third, you get. The fuck. Away."

 _Amen to that_ , had thought Crowe after experimenting an attack by a daemon rider. The wicked bastard had managed to break the lines of the Axes, and if she didn't get that lesson before, she would've fought that like an idiot. Oh, she probably would've been able to beat it down in a second, but not her teammates, and she could've break the formation. And that was out of the question. The important thing with the mages was to be able to form a powerful spell with one's team quickly. So a team of three or four had to stay together no matter what. Or else, survival and efficiency would be gone. When one started to run, others had to follow. Basically, mages were good at two things when it was about physical prowess : running, climbing, and deviating enemy strikes.

However now, Crowe didn't have her team anymore and it would be another two months or so until new recruits came to fill those gaping holes in their ranks. So she had to start training more, much more in physical exercises if she wanted to be useful to the Kingsglaive at all. She already was a good spell caster and running and climbing, she did that already in her life prior to the Kingsglaive recruitment. So she had to focus on combat for now. Thank the gods, Nyx had the best instructor in that aspect, namely Titus Drautos, their commander.

She saw him fight against Portia once, and even though, she was good, brilliant, even, he kicked her ass in a magnificently satisfying way (after a day of her being an utter bitch to the Mage corps), and several times against Nyx himself. The only one who managed to get some kind of hit on Drautos, but even then, it wasn't enough. So she was grateful to have him make her practice some stuff before the next battle.

Crowe trained a bit more on her own, before getting back to the dining room near the Pit. Nyx was resting next to Libertus while one of their comrade, Tredd Furia, was screaming and falling from the pillar of the Pit, until he sent his dagger on the paved ground and teleported next to it in an explosion of violet ashes, holding on to the grip with his dear life... And then he threw up.

She smirked and heard Libertus laugh, making a comment about how absurd the technique the Warpers had to learn to master was. Although she couldn't help but notice that Nyx kind of started when Tredd cried. That was weird. Then again, Nyx was a daydreaming kind of guy, but that happened a lot more those days. Usually he avoided being bothered by that but now...

She preferred not to dwell on it and walked towards the dining room to get something to eat with Pelna and Luche when they saw them all gathered around the TV monitors. She went next to them to see what they were looking at so intently... Then ran to get Nyx and Libertus.

And they all came to see what was being decided of their hearths and homes.

"You have got to be shitting me," she hissed, anger rising in her throat. "You have got to be _shitting_ me! This has got to be a fucking joke!"

Images of her burning home and village behind the imposing shadows of the Magitek armors destroying everything on their path came flying in her mind and all her sweet dreams of revenge and her even sweeter dreams of rebuilding her home, finally burying her deads and seeing the golden fields of her home country, all of that evaporated in an instant.

Lucis had agreed on the terms of the Empire : they were surrendering every territories outside of Insomnia in order to end the war. Rumor had it that the envoy had called the retreat from the last battle "a gesture of imperial goodwill."

Now it was Crowe's turn to want to throw up.

They argued with the others. Everyone was angry, pissed off beyond measure, felt either betrayed, disgusted or both. Libertus had cried his disagreement out loud and Nyx had remained stubbornly silent, his jaw clenched, lips thinned in a bitter line and his eyebrows frowned. While Tredd Furia let out all of his dripping sarcasm and bitterness in front of them :

"Don't you get it? We're nothing to them. Rats, snuck in from behind the Wall. Sure, they had use for us when they realized we could work their magic, so they handpicked us out from all the other rats out there and just let us nibble away at His Royal Majesty's precious power. But as soon as this war's all over, it's back to the sewers for all of us."

She didn't need to hear his bullshit. She just wanted to punch him, so that he would shut his mouth at once, Gods, she REALLY didn't need this!

"Hey you could always go back to Galahd, huh, Libertus?" Tredd called up to the Axe. "I'm sure Nifflheim would welcome you all with open arms," he added with pouring sarcasm.

"My gods, _shut the fuck up_ , Tredd," Crowe shouted, positively annoyed.

But Nyx came suddenly and took him by the collar, pinning him to the closest pillar of the briefing room.

"You have a home out there too, don't you? It's Nifflheim that took it away!" he roared.

At first startled from his violent reaction, Tredd pursed his lips in contempt, and pushed him away, leaving with Axis and Sonitus, not forgetting to spit at the Hero's feet.

"Yeah, right, I'm out of here."

They left a tensed silence as they walked away, leaving them all with clenched fists. Libertus threw away his crutch in anger :

"No way, there's no way I'm gonna accept this!"

Crowe knocked on the door of Drautos' office and entered when he invited her in. The room was fairly simple, a wide desk, a little book case next to the window, walls covered in maps of Lucian territories... Well... soon-to-be former Lucian territories. Bitterness took over her face when she recognized her own homeland on one of the maps.

Drautos, still reading some papers asked her without raising his head :

"Something on your mind, Crowe?"

She snorted.

"That's a very light way to put it. But hey, who cares about someone like me...? There are other stuff to deal with, I guess..."

"That's for sure," sighed the commander. He leaned in his chair to look at her. He took off his cape and gloves while looking at her with a wry smile. "What about those maps?"

"Meh," she merely shrugged. "Thinking about my old home and all... I had so many projects, had we won the war... All of it falling apart just like that... I feel foiled...

But you already knew that..." As he nodded with a sad look, she went on : "And about the others... I don't like it, Titus. This whole treaty business... Call me naive if you like but... It's tearing our group apart... The Kingsglaive is the closest thing I have to a family, I don't like seeing it like this..."

Drautos nodded slowly, understanding what she meant.

"How are you holding up since the last battle?" he decided to change the subject.

"Good, I guess. I just wish I could've seen the girls one last time but we don't have the time for this, right?"

"No, I'm sorry for that but I need you here and now, Crowe Altius. I hope Lucis can still count on your services, Kingsglaive."

She straightened up and holding her hands in her back, in the usual to-attention attitude.

"Sir, yes sir. Armed and ready to serve."

"I'm glad to hear that." He took a little box from a drawer and presented it to her on his desk, gesturing et to come closer.

"Your mission is to retrieve and escort Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret to Altissia, where she is to be wed to our Prince Noctis. He will leave tomorrow to join her there. You will have to leave Insomnia today."

He let the orders sink in her mind. That was surprising...

"Why Altissia, Sir?"

"The signing ceremony of the treaty will happen in only a few days. King Regis didn't want the wedding to happen here with so many enemies around in the Crown City."

"Enemies? They come to sign a peace treaty, don't they?"

"And you would still trust the Niffs with your life after near fifteen years of incessant war?" Drautos asked her with sarcasm.

"Heh. Good point. Okay, then. I'll be on my own for the first time in a while... It's gonna be fun."

"You mind staying serious a tad bit longer, Altius?"

"Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir."

"Good. So you will be dropped outside of Insomnia and from there follow the best road you see fit to get to Tenebrae. We prepared the papers for your safe infiltration, but getting out with the Oracle is going to be harder, for obvious reasons. As soon as you leave Insomnia, you're on your own."

"Right," she said with a worried smile. "Makes sense. How do I pick her up?"

"Through our contact, her handmaiden in the Oracle business. The name's Gentiana. She said she will be waiting for you at West entrance of the capital."

"Does that mean that the Lady will have to get out of the royal manor on her own?" she asked, doubtful.

"Yes. I know, this sounds tricky but it's the only option we got now. And near Tenebrae, I highly suggest not to use your powers. That would be a too great giveaway on the identity of the Princess' escort."

As Crowe nodded, Drautos handed her the box. "This hair pin is for the Princess to wear. Let's say it's our present for congratulating her on the wedding. This will allow us and you to know about her whereabouts at any time. Make sure she keeps it with her at all time."

"Got it. Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing except that where she goes, you go and not the opposite. She is still royalty and you ought to treat her as such. Needless to say that you will have to protect her from any harm, and you will escort her back to Insomnia along with Prince Noctice and his aids, should a safe return be possible. The itinerary is up to you but if she changes it, you'll have to deal with it. Is that clear?"

Crowe sighed. That sounded troublesome but still made sense.

"Crystal clear, Sir."

"Good. I expect you to leave at dusk, pack your belongings consequently. Nifflheim will probably not appreciate their Oracle being taken away from them, so needless to say you ought to prepare to everything that will be coming at you. Any question?"

"Yes, Sir. Can I have an authorization to retrieve some material at the Crownsguard armory?"

"Right. I'll sign you that now."

After taking care if the paper, he gave it to Crowe and asked :

"Anything else?"

"Nope, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

"Then you are dismissed. Good luck out there, Crowe."

"Thanks, Titus. But hey, you know me!"

"Precisely," he snorted.

She bowed her head, took the hair pin, gave her boss her best confident smile and got out of the room.

New mission, and a freaking important one at that. On her own. No Nyx, no Bert, no Luche, no Pelna... This looked like one of her first missions of escort except the target was a tad more consequent than the simple nobility of Insomnia.

She sighed then gave her face a slap with her hands and went back to her apartment to prepare a bag.

Crowe always preferred to travel light, wherever she went she always had one simple backpack. But a simple backpack wasn't enough for this mission. She'd never had enough room in it for everything she needed for this mission.

For a start, she wrote up a list.

First of all, money. She had a debit card the Kingsglaive gave her to retrieve it. She withdrew as much money as she could because those stuff were useless out of Insomnia. Then pharmacy, first-aid kit, with some healing potions, quite a consequent one because she was pretty sure she was going to need it badly if she was to protect the Oracle of this world...

Mana refilling potions, very important, if she wanted to stay sharp and have her powers fueled properly. But that stuff was expensive, Six almighty! So she decided to buy only five, when a dozen should've been the minimum for a long run mission like this one. Damn, she wish she had one of those on her two days ago on the battlefield...

Clothes for both hot and cold weather, you never knew. If she needed she could buy some on the road, not that she needed much but again, you never knew.  
Mechanical repair kit, for her bike, and one for a car, because she was positive she wasn't going to exfiltrate the princess on it, she will need a car for that.

She even took her rock climbing material : a fifteen-meters long rope, snap hooks, pulley and harness. One would think that this was useless for a simple escort mission, but they would be forgetting that they needed to go through a country at war, and not all the roads were going to be practicable. Meaning a lot were going to be destroyed and there would be a lot of weird deviations through impossibly weirder country lanes, bridges and so on, so yeah no, she was taking her kit, no arguing.

Phone and charger, because if she was on her own once out of Insomnia she wasn't going to have another way to contact HQ.

And finally the fun part, weapons. What, you thought that a mage wasn't able to fight with weapons, only magic? That's cute. Many times it wasn't her magic that saved her, on the battlefield but her wits and a good ol' hidden blade. She needed to have enough stuff to prepare any kind of possible back-up plan. So... Throwing knives, her small teleporting dagger that she always kept on herself. Those were the stuff she owned, but for the rest she needed to get it at the Crownsguard armory.

Off she went to the Citadel to get the rest of her material when Nyx called her.

"Sup, nerd?" she smiled. "So I heard you were reassigned again. What's now, babysitting?"

"Not too far from it actually," he snorted. "I have to escort the Prince to his apartment when he leaves the Citadel. Did you know that nearly everyone if the Crownguard left?"

"What? Why?"

"Dunno. Some mission outside of Insomnia. Thought you'd know more since you just talked to the captain."

"Geez, now I wish he did..."

"And by the way, did you see Libertus around?"

"Bert? Thought he would with you..."

"Well... He was at first but he left early, and I have no idea where he went off."

"Meh, probably at home. Do you want me to check on him before I go?"

"Nah, I'm pretty sure he'll come to see you off to Tenebrae... When are you leaving by the way?"

"End of the afternoon."

"Alright then, I'll see you later."

"Yep, see ya. Send the prince my regards!"

"Gods, shut up!" he laughed before hanging up.

She liked that, hearing Nyx laugh after everything that was told this morning. She was glad she managed to cheer him up... She probably had to do the same with Libertus... He had been so angry...

Arriving at the Citadel armory, old black Crownsguard Marcus greeted her with a grunt. She ignored him with her brightest smile and came up to the counter, while nearly slamming her Kingsglaive insignia on it.

"Came to retrieve some goods for a mission, Crowe Altius, Kingsglaive. The mission is code red. And the authorization is here."

She sledded the paper signed by Drautos in front of the old man, who took his sweet old time reading it before grumbling :

"Looks like it's in order. What do you want?"

"Okay, bear with me, 'cause I need a lot. Detailed maps of Lucis', Tenebrae's and Accordo's roads, a pack of light bombs, one of classic grenades and one of smoke bombs, three protective-field generators, two bullet-proof jackets, thirty meters of wire, binoculars, with night vision -powerful ones, please- and last but not least, one retractable staff, one gun, with three cartridge boxes."

Marcus looked at her positively annoyed :

"Will that be all?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yup! Counting on you, Sir!" she answered with an apologetical sigh.

Even though nothing about her was apologetical. Folks from the Crownsguard had the tendency to be massive dicks to the Kingsglaives. Call that tough love, if you want, some of them genuinely hated the immigrants fighting for Lucis. Even last night, Nyx told them about his "magic" experience on the West gate, with one of them treating him like the shit at the edge of his boot heel. So she was quite happy about this little pay back.

After determining her itineraries, finally she was ready. Sunglasses and leather jacket on, she arrived at the West checkpoint with her backpack and another traveling bag, that seemed quite heavy even though looking small. The boys were charging her bike in the yellow truck and behind her, Nyx and Libertus arrived by car. They parked next to the truck, and Nyx got out first to help Libertus up.

"Hey, slowpoke." Nyx greeted her. "Ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be! Hey Bert, how are you holding up?"

He merely shrugged. Then started to mumble :

"I really don't see why you have to go to Tenebrae... It's over, isn't? What is there to do now?"

"You remember what Smith used to tell us?" she said with an amused smile.

"War isn't over until everything is signed..." he groaned.

"... and when it's done, the spies come into the picture." Nyx finished while putting his hands on his hips. "So what's it gonna be, Crowe? Soldier or spy?"

"Bit of both."

They went towards the truck and Crowe put on the watch used for the hair pin and activated it. It could be useful if she were to loose it or if she were to be lost on the way. Libertus saw her putting the hair pin in her pocket, Nyx smirked :

"Didn't know you were into that kind of thing..."

"I'm not. It's a gift for the Princess. But keep that quiet. Nobody's supposed to know."

"Right," added Libertus. "And take care of yourself, I know you're sick of hearing this but you know how I consider like a..."

"...like a little sister, I know. You're right, I'm sick of hearing it." she joked with a roll of the eyes.

"Be careful out there, Crowe." Nyx said.

"Yeah and be sure to come back in one piece, alright?"

She snorted, while closing the hatches of the truck :

"Says the guy in two pieces!"

She clicked her tongue with a wink to her handsome boys and closed the truck.

"Let's go!" she told the Kingsglaive driving the van. "I wanna hit the road!"

Off she went then to Tenebrae. And even though she prepared quite a lot for the mission, she did not expect any of what came up next. Nothing could've prepared her for that.


	4. 3 : Omen

Chapter 3 : Omen

She woke up abruptly by sitting up on her bed, panting and aghast, her hair sticking with sweat on her face. After several long minutes trying to regulate her breathing and staring into nothingness, she looked at the clock, then at the window.

Outside, it was still night time. She formed a thin line with her mouth. Two months ago, the sun would've been up since several minutes. Now, it didn't even showed its rays in the sky. But it was still her usual waking time. Nonetheless, their star kept on turning, in its never ending race. As she had to. But she had to race against an Empire, against the Starscourge, against time itself...

She shook her head. She didn't have the luxury to think like that. Self-pity was lost on her. She was Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the Oracle of Eos. And her mission was bigger than she was. She needed to focus.

She took a deep breath, and noticed the silent silhouette of Gentiana, Mesenger of the Gods, standing across her room. Lunafreya smiled at one of the very few friendly face in her own home.

"Good morning, Gentiana."

"A fair morning to you too, dear Oracle. It seems your slumber has been revealing," her handmaiden observed.

She had a little smile and passed her hand through her blond hair.

"Indeed," she sighed. "It gave me a lot to think about... But we don't have much time... I think this changes a lot on our program. When is supposed to arrive King Regis agent?"

"Supposedly an hour before the sun sets again." the spirit answered with her smooth voice.

Gentiana had been using another faithful servant by the name of Hyacinth as contact outside of Fenastala Manor. It's been some time since Lunafreya had prepared her escape. For not even her brother Ravus was going to help her accomplish her mission as Oracle. So the only people she could rely on were three persons, Hyacinth, Maria and Gentiana. Hyacinth had been sent away from the manor and used Gentiana's name outside when talking to Lucians men in order to prove she was faithful to the Princess and to no one else.

Nodding, Luna pulled her bed sheets away and got up to put on her sports pants, a T-shirt and a white hoody.

"I'm going to run for a bit. Tell me if anything new happens?"

"Have no worries. I shall be watchful."

"Thank you. I will see you later, then."

As she finished tying the laces of her shoes, she got up again to see that she had disappeared. She smiled. Back when she was a very young girl, this capacity of hers always fascinated her. She would ask her to "do it again", and Gentiana, ever so sweet, always complied, and every time Luna would start then laugh. She hoped now that it wasn't too much of a bother back then. But she still loved it when she did that.

As soon as she got out of her room, her escort, Aurelius, a slender black-skinned and friendly agent of the Empire approached her.

"Good morning, Aurelius."

He had been her escort for quite some time now. At first, the sight of a Nifflheim agent made her scowl and she had been speaking to him in a polite but very cold manner. Through time, she realized that he was just a simple man obeying orders, and that she should be more understanding and respectful. He was always very sincere, very courteous and very nice to her. But she knew that if she tried to escape in front of him, he would warn his superiors almost immediately. So, sadly, she couldn't trust him either.

As he came up to her, she smiled and she saw that he finally decided to put proper running shoes. Usually he would use his pretty interior ones but he always had a hard time catching up to her with these.

"And a good morning to you too, Lady Lunafreya. Ready to go?"

"Indeed I am. And I can see that you are too?" she added with a smile to his brand new sneakers.

"Ah, you noticed them! I'm quite proud of those, my wife found them for me and now I can pretend I can catch up to you, more convincingly at least!"

She laughed and they walked out of Fenastala Manor with friendly banter and then she started to run. Aurelius were always trying to follow at first but when Lunafreya started to run, she was focused and she could run really quickly. She was so focused that everything around her disappeared. She was deep in her thoughts and not even the calls of Aurelius could stop her.

Sometimes, her state of reflexion was so deep while running it was even superior to her meditation state. Her body knew by heart the course, so she could focus her mind on something else. For the last five years, it was the only true moment of freedom, where her mind was hers and hers alone. She had a full control over her limbs, her thoughts, and she was happy to be able to enjoy it now... While it was still possible.

At the other side of the floating hills around the Manor, the sun was rising. Time for the brainstorming.

The rhythm of her breathing started to regulate. Her strides became balanced and every part of her body started to work in a perfectly oiled machinery. All the sounds became hollow in her ears.

Okay. This morning's dream was telling. She needed to act quickly, but still with caution. What she saw in her sleep needed to be discussed with King Regis. He was in danger, and the world couldn't afford to lose the King of Light, not when his son was the Chosen King, and still needed guidance.

She had a bad omen when the Empire announced that a treaty were going to be signed with Lucis yesterday. The Empire wanted to have her wed in Insomnia. She had been contacted by King Regis' men through Hyacinth so she could leave Tenebrae and join Altissia where she would meet with Noctis instead of marrying in Insomnia as Nifflheim suggested. That in itself was a terrible confirmation of her bad feeling about this "treaty of peace". It meant that King Regis wanted them away from the Crown City.

Why would the Empire want the marriage? What could they possibly get from this? That was one of the many questions she asked herself to sleep yesterday. Questions that were answered by the nightmare. Something grave was going to happen but, curse her random prophetic dreams, nearly all of them were fuzzy, cut out from contexts, stakes, merely feelings, sensations put in her mind through flashes. She had to warn King Regis about it. She knew he would trust her words, he would probably be able to do something... The Empire couldn't be trusted. She only knew that his life was in danger but she had no idea how, when and where and it was terribly infuriating.

However, going to Insomnia could probably compromise her calling as Oracle. There is a high probability that she will go there with the imperial delegation, with no way to leave the city. Leaving Tenebrae was something her, Gentiana, Maria and Hyacinth had been working for already quite some time, until the announcement of the treaty and the message from Insomnia's men to Hyacinth that she would be escorted by one of them to marry Noctis in Altissia, telling her that he would've already left the capital when their agent arrived in Tenebrae. So. She could ask this agent to go back to the Crown City and warn the King about her dream in her stead... And there was so many things that would make her laugh at the idea if she weren't running : what were the chances that the agent disobeyed his orders of escorting her to go back to Insomnia and warn the King about a prophetic dream ? What were the chances that he would believe this at all ? This was ridiculous. If she wanted to be listened to, she had to go there herself. There was no other way around it... And what if... What if King Regis already knew something was going on? Why else would he have send Noctis away from Insomnia? Then it meant that there was a high chance that if he heard about the dream, he wouldn't do anything against it. Because he knew. And that troubled her tremendously. She didn't want King Regis to die. He couldn't die. But the dreams never lied, said a small scared voice in her head... So what were she to do?! Should she go to Altissia? Or still go to Insomnia?

She needed to see the dream again. She didn't have it for no reasons. There was always a clue somewhere.

Slowly but surely, she fell into an even deeper state of concentration, she couldn't even hear Aurelius calling behind her. The dream came back to her mind but this time she wasn't asleep, she was paying full attention to it. And then for the first time in five years, she stopped dead on her tracks, as realization struck.

The Ring. Six almighty, the Ring. It would be left there... This new information left her speechless.

 _Calm down,_ she commanded to herself. _One thing at a time._ Now she had to decide whether going to Altissia or Insomnia. She... She probably should trust the King, but leaving him alone in this situation was so dreadful. But no... He wasn't alone. He could do it. She trusted him, she had faith in him. He will be able to fight this.

Very well, then. Today she will leave for Altissia. And while going there she would fulfill her duty.

And as soon as she concluded this, she woke up from her trance, and finally noticed Aurelius next to her, looking at her with worried eyes.

"I hate it when you do this," he deadpanned.

"Do what?" she asked with a bright smile.

"Running while not caring about my poor health," he then lamented and she laughed. "I'm not as fit as you are! I can't keep up with you, even with my brand new sneakers... Sarah is going to be mad at me."

"Why would you dear wife be mad at you? I'm just really fast!" Lunafreya boasted very rarely, but she took pride in her running skills.

"That you are, Your Highness, that you are. But this is the first time I see you stop like this. Did something happen? Did you hurt yourself?"

"No, no, nothing of the sort," she assured with a shake of her head. "I'm fine really. I just realized I forgot to do something really important yesterday. But it doesn't matter now. Shall we walk a bit? Let's relax after the effort."

"Oh, that's the best idea you ever had so far, my lady."

"Why thank you! I'm glad you like it!"

They walked slowly while stretching and talking, until they went through a footbridge and up one of the huge floating hills to watch the sunrise. As she looked at the star coloring the sky of its rays, she thought that she might need to start to count the number of times it would ever rise again. Her grim expression was not unnoticed by Aurelius. He asked her about it and she gave him a sad smile.

"The Starcourge, Aurelius. It's keeping on its dreadful course. I may heal people from time to time, but it's not enough."

She looked at her hand, clenching and unclenching it.

"And I am frustrated at my lack of power... I am the Oracle, there is no denying this, but I feel I am unworthy of such powers. And now that the day of the eternal night is coming, I am even more aware of my weakness..."

"The eternal night? What is it?"

"The time when the Starscourge will be at its peak. I pray everyday that Eos don't have to face it. But every morning is a dreadful warning that it is close."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you not notice, Aurelius? The day are shortening even though we're still in spring..."

"... That's true... But isn't that due to some climate change or something like that?"

"I wish it was that simple. Even though nothing is simple about climate change..."

Aurelius contemplated silence for a moment. Then said :

"Lady Lunafreya, you shouldn't put yourself under so much pressure... This is a lot of responsibility for a simple human being... I mean you could always live your life, do what you want... Nothing stops you from doing that! And you're going to marry a Prince at that! And I gather you were childhood friends even? It could be worse!"

She had a shy laugh then gave him a grateful smile.

"Your optimism a treasure of humanity, Aurelius. It is true that Prince Noctis and myself were good friends, and we still are, he is very dear to me. However, this wedding will mean little if I cannot accomplish my mission. Indeed nothing could stop me from having a simple life, surrounded by the ones I love... However, the only thing that stops me is myself. The Oracle can change but the duty remains. I live to serve the gods and the people. I found my calling in that. And this is one of my greatest pride..." she put her hand on her chest. "People count on me. Eos counts on me. I cannot disappoint them, I have to protect them. I will protect them. This is what I want to do. And the only thing that is stopping me from doing this is the Empire."

As she gave him an apologetical smile, Aurelius looked at her with a sad expression.

"I'm sorry, Lady Lunafreya, but I can't..."

"Oh no no no, don't worry about this, dear Aurelius. I would never resent you for doing what you're being told. This is your job. I do regret those orders, though."

He smiled at her then said :

"You know, Highness, I think you're thinking too little of yourself. In everything you just told me there was strength. Nothing is weak about you. And I also think, you're one hell of an Oracle."

She laughed of happiness, Aurelius' words really moved her and cheered her up.

"Thank you, my friend. I really appreciate it."

Then she clapped her hands together.

"How about we go enjoy a well deserved breakfast? I am starving!"

"I feel you hear, Your Highness."

"But we will run back to the manor!"

"... Why do you feel the need to do this to me...?"

Why did fate feel the need to do this? No, seriously...

WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON!?

What the fuck was going on? She was on her bike on the way to Tenebrae, finally passing the borders, after sleeping in a poor motel on the side of the road for five hours, and as soon as she arrive at a gas station for a refill, she was caught back. By a truck. From Lucis.

Full. Of her fellow Kingsglaives. That had shot at her!

She was getting ready for departure, when the truck came up to the gas station. She recognized Sonitus Bellum at the driving seat and even though she thought it was weird, she waved at them and asked them what they were doing here from afar. And saw a glint inside, and as she squinted her eyes, she leant down to pick up her bag. And heard the sound of a gunshot, hearing the bullet hiss just above her ear, cutting a lock of her hair.

Completely baffled, she nearly didn't avoid the second one, only by a hair, rolling behind the bike.

"GUYS! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?!" she yelled, frantically panicking.

She heard the truck's tires screech on the asphalt and the motor roaring, coming closer by the second. They were going to smash the bike and her under it.

She exhaled and stood up, extended her hand and casted a spell. Five meters away from her, a sphere of protection appeared just under the front wheel of the truck that was coming at full speed towards her. As if it was driving on a springboard, the truck literally jumped and flew to her left for a solid second before crashing on the side and sliding straight into the glass of the gas station's shop.

Crowe, breathing heavily under the stress, curled her gloved hand and hid small sparkles of lightning in her palm, ready to strike at any second. She slowly approached the overthrown Lucian truck and finally saw the three traitors, two of them knocked out, blood coming from wounds on the forehead. Only Sonitus was still conscious, but stunned from the shock. Something snapped into her as the realization of what he just tried to do to her sank in. Without concession, Crowe opened his door and pulled him out to slam him against the van, but the movement knocked down the man and left him unconscious. Crowe swore. Dammit! She wanted to ask him why! WHY the hell did he do that?! What was wrong with them?!

She released her grip from his collar and started to pace. Should she wait for him to wake up and interrogate him? No. She had a rendezvous with this "Gentiana" and the Princess in three hours, she couldn't afford to waste any time...

Also how the hell did they find this route? She didn't even get to the highway, she avoided it on purpose! Why did they attack her too? They were like family, for Six's sake! How could they do such a thing? Was it because of her mission? Because of her? Who were they working for? The Niffs? Most likely. Themselves? Possibly but she saw no interest in rebelling on their own... Unless there was... more traitors in their ranks...? This thought made her dizzy for a moment...

She shook her head. No time... She had no time to do this now. Actions first, questions later. Usually it was the other way around, but if there's one thing she was taught well in the Kingsglaive, it was to adapt quickly, among other things.

So. They were coming from Insomnia. Should she let them live then? Should she kill them and get rid of the filthy traitors? She looked at Sonitus' face, the silent, with quick-witted gestures when sharp, also a fan of naps, he could sleep like the dead literally anywhere... And he and his comrades just tried to kill her...

She looked at her trembling hand, then sighed deeply and looked up at the grey sky, passing her fingers through her hair. This had got to be a nightmare, she thought with eyes closed. She was going to wake up anytime soon... But when she opened them, she swore and saw that it was all very, terribly, real. She wanted to cry...

She walked back to the truck and leant over the driver's seat to search for the gun they used against her. When she finally found it, she opened the charger and looked at the bullets. Expansive bullets. Niff production. She cursed again, and decided to keep the gun with her. She was going to need proofs if she ever came back to Insomnia. And another gun for her personal use couldn't hurt. She used the one the Crownsguard gave her to shoot the tires and make sure that they couldn't get back on the road. But she couldn't find the resolve to kill members of her family, even formers... Not now at least. One thing she assured herself, she will probably regret leaving them alive. But the next time she saw them on the road, she was ending them. Definitely... Gods, why?! Why now?! Why, for fuck's sake?!

"Focus, Crowe, focus!" she commanded to herself while pinching the bridge her nose.

She couldn't break down now. She still had a mission to do. Of that she was sure. She had to hold on to that for now. Go to Tenebrae. Get the Princess. Protect the Princess. Go to Altissia. Simple. She had to hold on to that, and think of nothing else. And she was already late.

She gave a quick look at the gas station shop, just to check if anyone was hurt by the crash. As no one seemed to be in danger, Crowe put back her helmet, zipped her jacket pulled her backpack on her back and straddled her bike. The motor roared and she left the place for the highway to Tenebrae's capital.

She decided to focus completely on the task at hand. She couldn't afford to be distracted, not when she had the life of the Oracle in her hands.

But she felt the confusion lurking in the back of her mind, and she knew that at the slightest slip of the plan, she would literally break down.

Fuck. She wasn't paid enough to deal with this bullshit.


	5. 4 : Escape

Chapter 4 : Escape

"Something is troubling you, sister."

Lunafreya had wanted to laugh at her elder brother Ravus Nox Fleuret's comment. "Troubling" wasn't even beginning to define her suspicions on the Empire's intents. Fortunately, she restrained her reaction to a bitter smile.

They were sitting around breakfast and scheduling. She had hoped to enjoy a friendly chat with Aurelius but Ravus always made sure to at least enjoy a meal everyday or so with Lunafreya, even though both were getting busier and busier, so she ended up eating with him this morning. Luna appreciated the thought but they tended to disagree on so many matters that most of their interactions was sterile small talk or cold but angry arguing. So even though she was glad to enjoy her brother's presence, she still dreaded the quarrels that could appear out of the most simple and casual sentence. How she missed the days when they got along so well... The death of Queen Silva, their mother and the previous Oracle of House Nox Fleuret, changed a lot in their relationship and his unjustified hate towards Lucis and King Regis, along with her own duty as Oracle drifted them further and further apart.

So when he commented on her expression, she saw the argument coming from a mile away, and she didn't want to fuel it. Still... She needed to see what was going through Nifflheim's mind.

"I am merely trying to understand what the Empire could possibly gain from this wedding," she pointed out casually but carefully. It was known in Tenebrae that Lunafreya was a firm opposer of the Empire, so she could afford this bold statement but no one would be surprised nor impressed.

"That is none of your concern." Ravus said abruptly. "The Empire does what is needed for us. This marriage will bring piece in both of our nations."

"Come now, Ravus," Luna sighed while putting down her cup of tea in annoyance. "Do you really think you can make me believe such a thing?"

"What you believe and what I think matters not, Lunafreya." Ravus said sternly. "For the greater good and your very own, I suggest that you resign yourself to it."

Lunafreya pursed her lips. _Fool._ Foolish brother, how could he possibly think that way? Why was it that every time they brought such a subject, they were arguing? Why was it that every time she tried to show him what needed to be seen, the importance of her duty, the responsibility of the Empire in their mother's death, he made himself blind from anger, hate and revenge? She sighed.

"I do not feel too well," she stated, her voice wavering not out of weakness but out of anger. "I'm going to rest for a bit before we leave."

"You may go then. You will need to be in shape when we arrive to the Crown City. But be aware that you will be under a more consequent escort for the sake of this travel," Ravus said casually while pouring more tea in his cup. "We have been informed that some individuals were not so... supportive of this wedding. It's for your own safety."

The information sank in, and Lunafreya nearly couldn't hide her fists about to clench. Fortunately, she had more composure than this.

"Of course, brother. Thank you for your concern. I shall take my leave then. I will see you later," she answered with all the diplomacy and coldness she could gather in her tone.

She left the table and walked straight to the door with perhaps a bit too much of anger in her steps.

As soon as she got in her room, she heard the guards walk around her quarters. Much more numerous than before. Pryna, her dear canine companion got up on her feet and wiggled her tail, trotted towards her and followed in her steps, as Luna passed in front of her with a pat on the head. Maria, the oldest handmaiden in the Fenestala Manor was doing her bed.

"I'm afraid we will have to switch to plan B," she announced grimly while putting the papers of the trip's schedule on her desk. "My brother has probably discovered that someone was coming to get me, or that I would want to escape, or even both. Either way this complicates things a lot."

"Oh dear," the old lady worried. "Then we must warn Miss Hyacinth at once."

"You are right. Gentiana ? Are you here ?"

"The Oracle has called upon me," her smooth voice said behind them. While Maria had literally jumped out of fright, Lunafreya simply turned to her Guardian and gave her an apologetical look. "It seems we must use the hidden path," the spirit added.

"The first time in a long while," Luna smiled.

"But you might encounter some resistance, on the way, My Lady," Maria worried. "I heard the guards talk about wild vermin daemons hiding in there..."

"The Oracle has no need to worry about such creatures," the spirit assured. "Small beings such as those below fear the power that lies within Lady Lunafreya, as they can feel it. However, some more consequent daemons might want to attack. Indeed, the Oracle must tread carefully. I am aware that this is going to be difficult for her, yet she must."

The discreet jokes the Messenger could sometimes proffer were as refreshing as surprising. Luna and Maria smiled at Gentiana's reference to the Princess behavior, as she could be terribly reckless and more often than not. It used to get her in trouble, with a look of both disbelief and disapproval from her brother, the laughter of Aurelius, and some head shakes from other Tenebraeans executives.

"I shall not disappoint you," the Princess smiled. "Gentiana, could you go and warn our dear Hyacinth that we are switching to plan B? She must wait for the Lucian agent and take him to the Northern entrance. She knows how the rest goes."

"As you demand, dear Oracle."

"Thank you. Please do tell us if you notice anything unusual."

With a nod, and after a blink of their eyes the spirit was gone. She turned to Maria with a relieved smile.

"What would I be without her? But I must prepare. I cannot possibly confront the sewers in this dress!"

Trans woman Hyacinth Spatta never expected to be a "spy" for Lunafreya Nox Fleuret when she applied for the job of handmaiden at Fenastala Manor four years ago. Actually she never thought she would get it considering her foggy background but Lady Lunafreya was more interested in her honesty and... Divination abilities. Hyacinth was taught early by her mother to read the signs around her, use basic tarot cards to see the other stories their star had to tell, to hear the whispers of the spirits. Hyacinth was never an as good medium as her mother, but it still allowed her to see what others couldn't. Which was the reason why whenever Chancelor Izunia was around, she was positively terrified. And also allowed her to hear what couldn't be heard by others. Such as the voice of the Messenger Gentiana when she talked to her through telepathy.

It was now almost dusk and she was waiting for the Lucian agent at the West entrance in her car when she heard the voice of Gentiana in her head.

"The servant of the spirits must listen," she said. "The Oracle's position has been compromised, and she must use the hidden path. You must prepare to resort to the second plan. Wait here for the King of Light's servant to come and guide him to the Northern gate."

"Damnation...," she swore under her breath. "Understood. I will see you later, Mistress."

Now this was going to be troublesome. Seemed like Ravus decided to increase the guard's number around the Princess. Did that mean he was aware of Her Highness' plans? Possibly, but how? Only Gentiana, Maria and herself were aware of it and they were quite secretive about it, there was no way that he could've find out from them! They were never speaking about it together, Gentiana always transmitted the informations through telepathy. So... Perhaps it was on the Lucian's end then? So there was the possibility that their agent was the one being compromised. By the way he was late. It's been fourty-five minutes since she was waiting at the West gate. And no sign of Lucis so far. She didn't like that one bit.

Hyacinth sighed and got out of her car. She took a deck of tarot cards out of her purse, shuffled them with dexterity, without looking, and started to put the cards on the front cap of her car. She started mumbling obscure words, her eyes empty as she turned the cards and examined each one of them with attention. Then she smiled, and took her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, is this guard Gethro from the North gate? Yes I'm just calling because I needed to warn you that I know you're cheating on your wife with your colleague on every Thursday. I'd be very pleased to inform her and your daughter of this but I might not need to come to that if you just leave your position for one hour today in about thirty minutes. Do I make myself clear ?... No this is not a joke. And please, do tell your colleague Jacob that I am willing to tell his superiors about his drinking problems if he doesn't do the same... You don't care about how I got this number, you care about the fact that I'm going to break your family apart and your colleague's military career -if he doesn't do it himself- if you don't leave your position for one simple hour. And I will know if you don't do as I say. And if you even try to warn your superiors... Good. It's a pleasure doing business with you. Enjoy your evening."

Once she hung up, she gathered her cards back and kissed the top of the deck with a satisfied smile. It was always rewarding to see that her abilities could be useful. She was glad Lady Lunafreya wasn't here to see this, she always hated it when she used divination to blackmail people. But Hyacinth was now a spy. If there was something an Oracle couldn't do, she would.

After the passing of a few Imperial vehicles, she saw a woman on a yellow bike being checked by the guards. After getting a look at her papers, they let her through and she parked in a slot near Hyacinth's car. She had dark clothes except for the green tank top beneath her leather jacket. She took off her helmet, revealing grey brown hair, pale skin, coy dark brown eyes. She glanced at the little car next to her and leaned over the bike to get a better look at the woman at the driver sit.

"Hey. Are you "Gentiana", by any chance?"

Hyacinth was representing Gentiana to meet with the Lucians. So this girl was... She lowered the window of her sit to look at her.

"Are you from Insomnia?"

"Something like that."

"Alright then. There's a change of plan. Follow me, if you will."

The biker gazed at her with a skeptical look, then sighed.

"Lead the way."

She put back her helmet and switched the contact of her bike on as Hyacinth drove her car out of the parking lot.

This was Crowe's first time in Tenebrae. She had to say, it was one of the most spectacular landscapes she'd ever seen. And that's saying a lot considering the battlefield showed her plenty of unbelievable places throughout Lucis.

Flying mountains covered with luxurious forests surrounded the Capital, gorgeous gothic bridges connecting them all together, the main part of the City surrounded by beautiful and majestic trees, nearly hiding the sky away from the human gaze. Never had she seen nature and civilization in such perfect harmony. She was following the car through a hilly road with those gigantic trees all along the path on either side. She could feel a fresh spring wind on her body as she drove.

But all in all, there was some kind of outrageous peacefulness, dared she say idleness, that she noticed with the locals, way too similar to the Insomnians. There was war outside of those walls, for Six's sake! How could they live in such a  
carefree way when everything was exploding around them?

And she wasn't even going to start on all those Nifflheim's ships flying around. She never saw that many enemies in one place without a full squad of Kingsglaives to fight against them beside her. This was unsettling, but she needed to focus. She had to stay sharp and watch out for any kind of potential threat.

 _But everything here is a potential threat!_ her mind yelled inside of her. She was in fucking enemy territory, no one among the Kingsglaive had ever been this far inside Tenebrae!

She sighed deeply, trying to calm down. There's no point in dwelling on that. She had to get to the Princess first. She only hoped that she managed to get out of the Manor safely.

After driving for nearly an hour, they arrived at the Gate, that was deserted compared to the West checkpoint. That was weird. "Gentiana" parked her car near a narrow and high abandoned house, with all shutters closed. Crowe stopped her bike and followed the woman behind the house.

"Hyacinth Spatta, she introduced herself by extending her hand towards her when she arrived. My code name outside of the Manor is Gentiana. It was the best way to represent the interests of the Princess. Her guardian is quite famous around this part of the world."

She finally could get a good look at her. Her silhouette was not that feminine, if you considered the flat chest and the square jaw and shoulders. Also, her voice was definitely masculine, though it was very smooth and suave. However, the perfectly groomed curly red hair, the delicate make-up around the green eyes, the perfectly applied red lipstick, the mannerism, graceful and determined, her straight white dress revealing a bit of her collarbone and a deep purple classy and well-cut coat to cover it all was a clear statement of a femininity that Crowe wouldn't be able to get in three lifetimes. So, for that she deserved all of her respect, and she decided she wasn't about to question the trustworthiness of someone just because some people would think she looked "weird". Though it didn't stop Crowe from thinking that this lady dressed in a much more classy way than any nobles from Insomnia, although it wasn't really telling from her perspective since she didn't hang out a lot with this kind of people.

Crowe shook her hand, with great skepticism still lingering in her mind.

"Where are the Guards?" she asked, confused, while glancing at the checkpoint.

"Have no worries. I blackmailed them."

"You did?!"

"Indeed. We're safe for one hour. If it's in my lady's best interest, I'm willing to do anything. By the way, the signatures on the papers that allowed you to get in? It's the one of a Tenebraean official that I happen to know. I sent the papers via the secret channel I used to speak with your superiors."

"Wow. That's... Amazing... Err... Right. Okay. I'm not going to ask how you pulled that up. Who is Gentiana then?"

"A spirit. The Guardian of the Oracle and Messenger of the Gods. No less. If you are to travel with My Lady, you will probably meet her soon."

"Right. I'm Crowe Altius, member of the Kingsglaive. Pleased to meet you, Hyacinth. Any news from the Princess?"

"Her position has been quite compromised, let's say. We wanted to use the usual back door, but Lord Ravus probably saw that coming, and increased the guard around the East wing where Lady Lunafreya is living. The problem is, I have no idea how in the seven hells he found out we planned her escape, forgive my swearing."

"Hey, I'm not about to judge you on some light cursing, trust me on that," Crowe snorted. "Okay we'll think on that later, for now, where do we retrieve Her Highness?"

"If she managed to get out of her room without problems, she will come out of the underground through this house. It's a fake one, or an empty one, to be more precise. It's an air vent for the underground train's lines. In case of a fire on the tracks, this house is used as an emergency exit. A secret passage inside the East wing and more precisely in Lady Lunafreya's room that connects to the path of the underground and leads here. The problem is, the sewers that are on the path are not exactly safe. They are full of vermin daemons, and it was not the safest escape route even though it was the most direct one."

"Hold on, since how long were you planning to extract the Princess?"

"We've been thinking about this for the last two years or so," Hyacinth explained while guiding her around the house. "The Oracle planned to leave her homeland to accomplish her duty, but the Empire is blocking the way and has been doing for twelve years! She can't afford to wait for the war to end. And now that Nifflheim decided to offer her in wedding to Lucis, and plans to do it in Insomnia, there is no time to waste, it's now or never. In a way, King Regis was quite insightful when he decided to send his son to Altissia."

"Okay, but the Oracle is just a healer right? What kind of duty pushes the Princess of Tebebrae to leave her own home when she can do plenty here?"

"Healing is important," Hyacinth conceded. "But not as much as the main task of the Oracle. But it is not my call to fill you in on this matter. If My Lady sees fit, she will tell you about it herself."

"Fair enough," Crowe shrugged. "When is she supposed to arrive, by the way?"

"She should be here any minute... Oh dear..."

Crowe saw that she was looking at the corner of the house and worry showed on her face.

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid this exit has also been compromised."

Crowe leant on to get a look at what Hyacinth was seeing. Three Nifflheim guards were walking towards the front door of the house.

"They are from Lord Ravus' personal guard. That means he will be coming shortly."

"Shit. Alright, you stay here, I'll be right back."

Crowe grabbed the retractable staff and Sonitus' gun, and put on her helmet. She sneaked along the side wall until she could see clearly the three Niffs trying to open the front door. As soon as she heard the lock click, she got out from her hiding spot and activated her weapon.

"Hey, jackass!"

The nearest guard turned around so quickly he didn't see the long edge of a metal staff that came flying at his helmet so hard he was knocked out immediately. The two others managed to open the door at this moment but when they also pivoted, Crowe shot them down with the gun, one bullet each. Their lifeless bodies fell on the floor. She shot a last one for the guy she first knocked out with the staff and looked up. Behind the door, stood a young woman, frail and thin, almost scrawny, extremely pale, with blond hair, clear eyes, dressed in a white hoody and sport pants, with rangers, full of dust and mud, she was clinging to the straps of her backpack. If there was a word to describe her best, it'd probably be "bright". Even in the darkness of an underground entrance with her clothes dirty, her presence literally shone around her, there was an aura of peacefulness and calmness that could be really communicative if their situation wasn't so dire. Also, she was pretty. Next to her was a growling white little dog with pointy ears.

"Hey," Crowe greeted, almost cheerfully. "You okay? Are you hurt?"

"No I'm fine," the young woman said, and Crowe could see she was from nobility through her accent. "I'm sorry but who might you be? Where is Hyacinth?"

"I am here, Your Highness," Hyacinth said as she came behind Crowe. "Did those ruffians hurt you in any way?"

"No, I don't think they ever had the time to," she joked while looking sheepishly at Crowe.

 _For a Princess, she is taking well the fact there are three dead bodies lying around her_ , Crowr noted, impressed.

"That's a relief," Hyacinth sighed. "My Lady, this is Crowe Altius."

The Kingsglaive took off her helmet, and gave her best reassuring smile to the Princess of Tenebrae.

"This is the Kingsglaive that will be escorting you to Altissia. As instructed, I guided her here, but I'm afraid your dear brother is aware of this path."

"It does look like it, doesn't it?" she sighed. "Poor men. I'm sorry it had come to this." Then turning to Crowe : "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Altius. I am Lunafreya Nox Fleuret and this is my dog Pryna. Thank you for saving me. I'm afraid I will be in your care for the time being," she added with a bow of her head.

"Gods, don't bow to me," Crowe laughed awkwardly. "If anything, I should be the one bowing! Hi, doggy! Pleasure's all mine, Highness. I'm sorry you had to see this but I had to get rid of any knid of threat. Crowe is fine, by the way. Are you really okay? Because Hyacinth told me this path was kinda dangerous..."

"It would've been so for someone else. Though Pryna still protected me," Lunafreya smiled down at her dog who barked happily while wiggling her tail.

"Good to hear, I guess. Now, I would be usually glad to meet any handsome newcomer, but I gather that your brother is not of the friendliest kind, so we might want to leave already?"

"Indeed," Lunafreya answered with a ghost of a smile. She then turned to Hyacinth. "I'm afraid I will have to leave you alone now, dear Hyacinth," she apologized while coming up to her and taking her hands in hers. "Please don't try anything reckless and stay safe. You've already done so much for me, I don't want you to risk your life anymore than this."

Crowe was amazed by the noble aura she could produce even when covered in dirt and in simple casual sport's wear.

"For the future of the world, and as a servant of the spirits, I only did my duty." the medium answered with solemnity. "I only hope you will stay safe on the road. And please, don't do anything reckless too, My Lady," the handmaiden added with an amused smile. "Miss Altius."

Crowe sheathed the retractable staff on her belt and came near Hyacinth. She took out of the pocket of her coat a pair of keys.

"I parked a car ten miles away on the road. You will find there everything you need to escort the Princess to Altissia."

"Impressive," Crowe commented. "Did you also prepare a car for the first plan too?"

"Actually I prepared four of them."

"Holy shit! You've really been planning this for a while, haven't you?"

"Indeed," Hyacinth allowed herself to smile. Then she became serious again. "But my preparations skills are not the priority right now. I suggest that you leave at once."

"Right," Crowe nodded. "The further, the better. It was nice meeting you, Hyacinth. Good luck out there. You should probably leave the city while you still can."

"Do not worry, I intend to. Good luck to you too."

With a last bow to her Lady, the handmaiden left in her car. Crowe opened the sit of her bike and took out a helmet for Lunafreya, and another backpack.

"I don't know if we can take the dog with us, though..."

"Oh, no need for this, Miss Altius..."

"Crowe is fine."

"...Crowe. Pryna is a very special dog. She'll catch up to us. Don't worry..."

"What, is it an Oracle dog or something?"

Lunafreya let out a small laugh.

"Something like that."

"Well.. If you say so, then we probably should get going," Crowe said while handing the helmet to the Princess and putting the other backpack away. "Hop on, Your Highness. We have to move."

"Of course."

Lunafreya climbed on the bike behind Crowe a bit hesitantly. The Kingsglaive saw her uneasiness and smiled.

"First time on a bike? It's easy. You grab the handle on each side of the saddle behind you during the ride, and if you're afraid or you get tired, you can wrap your arms around me. Got it?"

"Yes, understood," Luna nodded while strapping on her helmet. "And... Crowe... At this point, there is no need for formalities, you can call me Lunafreya, if you like."

"Oh boy, now you're asking a lot from me...," Crowe laughed awkwardly while zipping up her jacket. "I'll just call you Princess, for now, and I'll see if I can manage to get to "Lunafreya", or perhaps "Luna"! That's even cuter. Did anyone ever called you Luna?"

"Yes, actually," the Princess laughed with a fond smile while strapping on her helmet. "Prince Noctis used to call me that way, back when we were children. I'm afraid my first name was a bit of a mouthful for him at this time."

"Oh well, I'll probably leave that privilege to my liege, then," she smirked while turning on the contact of the bike and letting the engine roar. "Wouldn't want to overstep my boundaries...," she added over the noise.

As she put back her helmet, she stopped and gave the Princess a wry smile :

"Then again, overstepping boundaries is kind of speciality of mine! Okay enough chit chat, let's go. Hold on, Princess." Then with a wave to Pryna who was sitting next to them : "Bye doggy! See you later, I guess!"

Off they went through the Northern gate of Tenebrae's capital and into the forest. Behind her, Crowe felt Lunafreya slightly turning, to give a lingering look to her home before it disappeared in the last curve.

"There it is!" Lunafreya pointed on the right. "Behind those trees! I think it's the car!"

"I see it. Good job!" Crowe answered and she turned the bike to pull it over. Once on the side of the road, Lunafreya climbed down and pushed the bushes aside to reveal a very small yellow car.

"Here!" the Kingsglaive called up to her. The Princess turned just in time to receive the keys she threw at her. "Nice catch, Princess! See if you can open it."

"Right away."

Lunafreya started to work on the car. Meanwhile, Crowe took out her things from the trunk of the bike, and hid the vehicle in the bushes.

"I'm gonna miss you, baby," she sighed while patting the sit. Putting the keys in her pocket, she proceeded to break a long branch. By the time she got out of the thicket, Lunafreya had already put their bags in the car.

"Nice, you catch on quick," Crowe complimented. "Get in the car."

"What are you going to do with this branch?" The Princess asked with curious eyes while going on the passenger's seat.

"I'm going to erase our tracks. It's a bit outdated but we're never too careful."

"That is true."

After driving the car, on the road, Crowe got down, and started to sweep the dust over their tracks with the branch. Once she was satisfied, with the result, she came back and started the engine.

"So. A manual gearbox." Crowe snorted while looking at the handle. "It's been a while since I drove with one of those old things. Hope I still have the hang of it. Princess, do you mind handing me my backpack behind you?"

"Of course."

While Lunafreya searched for the backpack, Crowe started to drive them on the road going through the luxurious forests of Tenebrae.

"Okay now that you have it, I'm gonna need you to be my copilot," Crowe instructed.

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

The Princess' eagerness to be useful was so endearing the Glaive couldn't help but smile.

"I need you to reach for the Tenebraean road map, open it, and guide me. I already highlighted the itinerary we needed to take when we were supposed to leave from the West gate, now we just need to find a way to the road I chose in the first place. Any questions?"

"Yes. I'm afraid this kind of map is not one that I'm used to read..."

"Once you know the outskirts of your city, you have no trouble finding your way on a map. Start with the North Gate."

After a few seconds of folding and unfolding the map, and trying to find the capital on it, Lunafreya finally said :

"I see it."

"Good. Now I need you to find the road we're driving on..."

"Hmhmm?" she confirmed.

"Now try to find one that connects the road we're following and the one I highlighted."

With her finger and with a very focused expression, she searched on the piece of paper for thirty solid seconds before her face finally lit up.

"I think I found something, we must take left at the next crossroad... Then we have to... Go below the rail road on the West, I think this is it... Yes that's it... The dotted line is the rail road, isn't it?"

"Yep. Good job figuring that out! You'll be a cartographer by the end of the journey, Princess!" Crowe teased.

She had a weak laugh. Something in her expression reflected sadness. Crowe didn't ask about it but still wondered what was on her mind.

"Are you sad because you're leaving your home land?" she asked after a while.

Lunafreya raised her head to look at her. Then she smiled :

"Something along those lines... But I'm afraid there's a bit more to that than my potential homesickness...," she added with a laugh. "If I had to list all of my worries now, I probably wouldn't be able to finish it by the time we arrive to Altissia..."

Crowe snorted. Then she slowly lost her smile. She was still troubled about the traitors in the Kingsglaive. She was still debating whether she should tell the Princess about it or not. She feared that it would only add up to her already quite busy mind. Although at the next stop on the road, once she was sure they were safe, she will have to call Drautos. But telling him about the traitors on the phone wasn't exactly ideal. She preferred to wait until they got to a small town that wasn't destroyed by war, or a motel before giving the call. But she only hoped they would get there before the signing ceremony, so they could arrest them and prepare for any kind of eventuality while she was away.

"How about you, Crowe?" Lunafreya asked with a polite smile. "Is there something troubling you?"

"Kind of," she conceded. "But it's nothing for you to worry about. Not for now, at least."

"If you say so. I will wait until you see fit to tell me about it."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Likewise."

"Thank you too, then."

There was a silence and slowly, the forest started to fade to let the plains spread out on the horizon. On the West, the sun was setting.

"This is the crossroad," Lunafreya announced before checking again and confirming with a nod.

"Alright! What's after the railroad?"

"The road divides itself in a branch, and we have to take right again. And we will have reached the road you chose."

"Pefect. I'm afraid we will have to ride all night long if we want to cover some distance. When they discover that we ran off, the first places they will start to look for are the closest towns around."

"Right."

"Oh geez, I nearly forgot. By the way, I have something for you, in my bag. It's a little box, in the front pocket, can you get it?"

"I have it. Is... Is this for me?"

Crowe saw that she opened the box to find the hair pin lying there.

"Do you like it?" Crowe smiled.

"It's very pretty," Lunafreya admitted while taking the object carefully between her fingers. "Very well crafted too. I like it a lot. But I suspect it is not normal jewelry, is it?"

"You suspect well, Princess. This is a tracker given to me by my superior. The watch on my wrist tells me the exact position of the person wearing it, namely you. Same thing for Insomnia, they have their eyes on us. If anything happens to you, I will know where you. And come to you right away."

"Okay. Thank you, Crowe."

"You're very welcome. Now put it on before we forget it."

Lunafreya slipped the hairpin in her ponytail. Now, the jewel was shining discreetly on the side of her head, and Crowe noticed the breads that were circling above her face, behind the blond messy bangs that fell on her forehead. Even with her now dirty outfit, the pin brought up more light around her, though it was fairly discreet.

"It suits you," Crowe said with a smile. "Well, I'm glad we have this checked at least. Let's hope we never get to use it in another way than a hairpin."

Lunafreya nodded, then turned her head to the setting sun.

She will make sure there will be a tomorrow. She will make sure that Eos still sees the light. Her calling was finally beginning.

 **Finally, those fine ladies meet! God knows I've been dying to see them together. Hope you liked what I did here! Also, what do you think of Hyacinth? A trans woman in Final Fantasy! Cause why the hell not? Maybe I'll dig into her story a bit further later, but she's not meant to be an important character. HOWEVER, I have so many side stories in mind, and I think I'm going to write one about her! XD**

 **Do tell me what you think about that if you feel like it. Otherwise, have a nice day anyway! UvU**


	6. 5 : Snake under the Castle

Chapter 5 : Snake under the Castle

Hyacinth was flipping her tarot cards one after another on her desk as she was finishing sending the message to the Crownsguard's and the Kingsglaive's chiefs. Her safe house was situated in the Outer rings of the capital, a place even Nifflheim soldiers tended to avoid. The people here didn't really like them.

She had been trying to figure out where the traitor would be coming from. The last thirty minutes allowed her to confirm with her deck that there was one indeed. At least the spirits confirmed that it wasn't Miss Altius, but she had figured out that much : the young woman didn't seem to care about formalities and friendliness, and more about efficiency. The behavior of a manipulator and traitor was usually much more affable than this. She took the Chancellor of Nifflheim as a reference in that aspect, but she never told that to anyone.

The cards also told her of a Snake, that was deeply rooted under the Castle. That meant betrayal, in a far more layered way. Probably in an inevitable way. Hyacinth, Maria, Gentiana and Luna always made sure to be the only ones involved into the Princess' affairs. So this Snake could only be found in Lucis. But she didn't know why the spirits were being so insistent on the subject. Her lady was getting away from the Crown City... The troubles of a traitor in Insomnia will do little from afar... At least that's what she thought. Still, she kept this information in her mind.

As soon as she got the notification, she gathered her cards and picked another one.  
The Moon. Upside down. Usually, she used the Moon as a representation for Lady Lunafreya. Upside down would mean that she was restless, unsettled, troubled, and as always, would start to behave recklessly. She usually was shown this card to announce a great change of mind.  
She sighed and put the card back in the deck. She heard the sound of cars and Nifflheim scouting air ships landing around the house.

It was too late for her then, she sighed.

She looked at the window and saw Lord Ravus getting out of the airship with his private guard.

She made the last preparations, and put her coat on, a hat and sunglasses even though the sun was already setting, took out her pocket mirror and put some more lipstick. As graceful as if going to the fanciest party, Hyacinth Spatta, the Oracle's spymistress went down the stairs of her hideout and as soon as they were calling for her, she opened the door of the small house.

"Yes, yes, I surrender. Now if you gentlemen still want to have a face to shave for tomorrow morning, I suggest you all step back for a bit."

She walked passed the guards pointing their machine guns to her head with her hands up. She joined Ravus who had his usual stern look on his face. Many years of such frowning ended up marking his sharp features with a line between his eyebrows.

During the four years of Hyacinth's service at Fenastala Manor, the relationship between Prince Ravus and herself had been quite dry. However, with time, Hyacinth realized that there was much more to him than his roughness and coldness towards his sister. He was always more careful with her, more uptight, more caring, in his rough and silent way. But that was also hidden under a consequent amount of ambition. The man was ready to do anything to achieve his goal. She just had yet to determine what it was exactly.

She was always able to have a good read on people. But that was as much as she could gather on him. That was why she tried to provoke him so that he could reveal himself to her in an outburst of anger.

"Your Highness," she greeted with her most charming smile. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Indeed", Ravus said between his teeth while turning to her. "I don't suppose you have any idea where Lady Lunafreya would be, as we were supposed to leave for Insomnia three hours ago."

She held a finger up, interrupting him, while looking at her watch.

"Hold that thought."

And then as soon as she said those words, the second hand of her watch hit the twelve... And the small house exploded.

The blast sent flying the guards a few meters away, flipping the closest car upside down. Hyacinth had held her hat in place as she watched the house burn and crumble with a satisfied smile and twinkling eyes behind her sunglasses. Ravus looked positively displeased and somewhat aghast.

"Sorry for the interruption," Hyacinth said casually. "Where were we..? Ah yes. I'm afraid all the clues you could've found on My Lady's whereabouts were aaaall inside that house." She pointed the building on fire.

Ravus seemed to look at the burning house for a moment then regained his composure. A bit too quickly to her liking.

"Hyacinth Spatta, you're under arrest for high betrayal to the Empire and the Province of Tenebrae."

She sighed dramatically then extended her wrists in front of her.

"Very well. I surrender to the law. But let me say something..."

As a guard put shackles on her hands, she leant closer to Ravus.

"Can one really call it betrayal when she never considered herself part of the Empire in the first place?"

Ravus scoffed then leant closer as well.

"Semantics won't help you here, Miss Spatta. However, it is very strange that a clever woman such as yourself thinks that catching my wayward sister depends on your knowledge alone. I'll have you know that you were just my first option. I have another card up my sleeve. Take her away at once."

She never had the time to reply. The Imperial guards took her in the airship while she heard him barking orders to his men.

Another card up his sleeve, he said.

As soon as she was seated, she reached for her pocket and picked a tarot card randomly from her deck. Then she looked at it.

The Snake.

She cursed under her breath. Then she called out to Gentiana, sending her thoughts away.

"Mistress", she announced grimly when she felt the spirit's presence beside her. "I'm afraid we're going to have an issue."

Crowe gazed down at Pryna, a bit skeptical. The dog was looking at her with a face of pure innocence, sitting and wiggling her twisted tail, then gave her a happy bark. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head on a side.

"Okay... So magical dog, right? That's nice I guess. But..."

She squatted down to face her.

"... How the hell did you do that ?"

Behind her, she heard Lunafreya's graceful laugh.

The Princess was looking at the map of Tenebraeans roads and figuring out their next path. They stopped at a small abandoned village not too far from the Lucian border, but the road they wanted to take was destroyed and impracticable. So while Lunafreya was finding their new pathway, Crowe had made a fire and cleaned up the place out of the daemons crawling around. When she had come back, Pryna was sitting next to her mistress, welcoming Crowe back with a cheerful bark.

She turned to her and gave her a smile :

"I mean, if we could travel as fast as she could, we wouldn't even need a car!"

"That would be nice, indeed. I suppose she can manage this feat because she is so small", Lunafreya suggested while waving at Pryna.

The dog trotted to her and she petted her head fondly.

Crowe sat next to the Princess. And looked into her bag.

"So Princess, what would like to have for diner? We have chicken instant noodles, beaf instant noodles, and finally... Pepper instant noodles! Possibilities are endless," she added sarcastically.

Lunafreya laughed again.

"Then... I guess I'll have to go for chicken instant noodles."

"Excellent choice! Chicken it is, then. I'll have the pepper ones."

"How do you prepare those exactly?"

"Veery easily. You boil some water, you put it in the cup, you wait for two minutes and tadaa! Your noodles are done. That's the secret reason why lazy people still manage to live without cooking anything!"

"Indeed it does sound quite convenient," Lunafreya admitted with a glint of amusement in the eye.

While they were waiting for the water to boil, Crowe laid out their sleeping bags on thin mattresses. She found everything they needed in the car.

"We're still too close to the Capital to my liking", she explained. "So we won't set up the tent. We'll sleep in the house, and we'll only stay here for six hours tops. Since I will need to drive, I'm going to ask you to take the longer watch so I can sleep and take us on the road safely. And you can sleep while we're on the way. Do you think you can do that?"

"Of course. You can count on me, Crowe."

"Great. As soon as we finish diner, I take the first turn and you go to sleep. I'll wake you up when I'm too tired. Oh look, the water's ready."

They ate while chatting and Crowe started to know more about the Princess.

"It's the first time I do something like this...," Lunafreya confessed while mixing her noodles with her chopsticks as if she was stirring a spoon in a cup of tea.

Even with a meal as pathetic as instant noodles, she still managed to eat it as gracefully as if she was savoring the most refined thing.

"Like what? You mean camping? Road trip?"

"All of it, really. Going out of the Manor, other than for my duty as Oracle, is extremely rare for me. And incredibly refreshing... And I never saw this part of the world. The part where there is but the shell of what used to be. I tried many times to see the ravages of war myself, but it has been forbidden to me. I needed to see the daemons, the people fighting pointlessly..."

"Pointlessly?"

Crowe snapped.

"I'm sorry, what is exactly pointless in fighting back against the people trying to invade you?"

"But so many lives were lost!" Lunafreya insisted.

"Yeah, well that's war. At least they're trying to do something about it! Or... were... trying," she mumbled finally, stirring angrily in her cup noodles with her chopsticks.

Lunafreya sighed, then looked up to the broken window.

"I know. The Empire started it all. I am not blaming Lucis for fighting back. I'm not blind. I know it was not easy. I... Know what it's like. I've seen a bit of it, some would say that it's enough... After all, I still remember the time when Tenebrae was a peaceful nation... One could say it was never truly free, the Empire invaded us ages ago... Though I've lost my mother the day they came back..."

"Oh...Well... Erm...I'm... sorry for your loss..."

"Thank you but I'm fine. It's been so long. It doesn't hurt as much as before. My brother however, still feels the pain, even after all those years."

She shook her head with spite. Then rose her purple eyes to Crowe's.

"Tell me, Crowe, what did you think of Tenebrae? What was your first impression of it?"

Not getting her point, she merely shrugged.

"It was... Pretty, I guess... Actually I don't think I ever saw a more beautiful place."

"I see. It is pretty isn't it. Now, as a veteran of this war, what do you think of Tenebraeans armies? Have you ever fought against them?"

Crowe frowned, trying to remember the battlefields she fought on.

"They weren't numerous. They fought hard but they were... lacking, let's say. Both in combat and in tactical movement..."

"Right. The Empire has an army of very dispensable Magiteks robots. They have military power. Do you think they invaded us so that they could benefit from our army? When they have all of this technology at their disposal?"

Lunafreya shook her head then had a bitter smile :

"Tenebrae, however, possesses something the Empire will never have and never had, as a conquering nation..."

She leant closer to Crowe to be sure to gaze at her. In that instant, the Kingsglaive realized how actually sharp this little lady was. The sheer determination in her eyes was adamant.

"Tenebrae has deep bonds with Lucis. And most important of all, Tenebrae has prestige."

She straightened up in a somewhat sarcastic manner as she enumerated her arguments with her sweet but determined voice :

"We are of a royal line that dates back the dismantling of the former Empire of Solheim, thousands of years ago. This line is famous for their Oracles, that fight against the Starcourge itself. Our history is old with legends that tell of the beginnings of modern Eos. We are one of the very last leaders to honor the gods as they should be. And our country of floating mountains, luxurious forests, waterfalls and lakes is considered the most beautiful on Eos. We are loved by the people because the Oracles are famous for their help and their compassion. All of this the Empire lacks. And wants."

She sighed and took some noodles between her chopsticks, then put it back, and looked back at Crowe.

"The Empire destroys the places they invade in two ways. The hard one, and the insidious one. Lucis is unfortunately victim of the former. We are victim of the latter. Of course we were invaded by force. But the royal family and the Oracle remain. They need our image, they need to show that beautiful, timeless, refined Tenebrae, is on their side, that the Oracle is their property, that the bloodline of the Nox Fleuret is theirs now. And we are not allowed to be anything more than that. It's all but a gilded cage, both on the inside and the outside. And needless to say that the armies of Tenebrae turning back on our dearest and oldest ally was a hard blow on Lucis."

She held on to her cup with her thin hands, seemingly trying not to crush it in frustration :

"We are a tool used against our own will, against the will of the people. I fear for my people. But sometimes... Six forgive me for those words, sometimes I just wish we were just another destroyed province so that our legacy is not used against our dearest allies, against our friends. At least we could've properly fight like you. But I am so powerless against that! I do whatever I can, everything I can possibly think of, and it never seems to be enough..."

During a long silence, Crowe gazed at the Princess while she was holding on to her cup of noodles, but not eating any of it.

"I'm sorry," Lunafreya sighed with that ghost of a smile. "That was inappropriate of me to make such an outburst..."

Crowe held up her hand and shook her head.

"That's okay. I think you made a good point, anyway. And you needed to vent, looks like... You know, you're much sharper than what other people think, if you ask me."

"Am I?"

Crowe nodded. Then she thought for a second. And asked :

"Could you hand me the map, please?"

"Of course. Here."

"Thanks. Eat while I'm checking those routes of yours... Okay so you see that branch there? Originally I wanted to pass through here. Next to it is an ancient battlefield I fought on. The Battle of Presia. That's the name of the little village next to it. That was one of the most intense battle I ever attended. It was... A bit more than two years ago. Our very last victory against the Empire. They still didn't build anything up after the conflict. Everything was left as it were when we went back to Insomnia. If we manage to reach this place before they catch us... I can take you there, if you wish. And I'll tell you everything about it. But I won't sugar coat it. You'll have to be ready for that."

Lunafreya looked at the place Crowe pointed on the map for a moment.

"We will have very little time but...," she said. "I think I'd like that."

Crowe smiled. Then she checked the route Lunafreya traced, and folded the map.

"Looks good to me. Hope we won't have any trouble on the way. Though the Crownsguard really should update those maps. Those damages on our first road dates from months at least! Are you done eating, Princess?"

"Almost."

"Good. Once you're done, off to sleep. I want you sharp and ready for tonight."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Crowe snickered to that. Then looked at the moon through the broken window.

"I think I found you a nickname. I'm not going to call you Luna. I'd feel bad taking the Prince's nickname for you."

"It's not his nickname," Lunafreya laughed. "You can call me Luna, if you wish. Even King Regis used to call me that way, back when I was a child," she recalled fondly.

"Really? ... Right, very nice but my point exactly. So... How about Freya instead?"

"Freya?"

She thought about it for a moment then smiled.

"I like it. I don't think someone ever called me that way."

"I like it too. It's short but still regal!"

Crowe clapped her hands.

"Then it's decided. You can call me Crowe. And I can call you Freya. Now go to sleep. I watch over you."

"Thank you. Good night then, Crowe."

"Yeah. Sleep tight, Freya."

 _"GUYS! WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?!" she heard Crowe yell._

 _The sounds of gunshots. The sound of a truck crashing into glass. As the pieces fell onto the floor they resounded into her mind thousands and thousands of time, they bounced on the asphalt and gathered, and huddled together, as if alive, forming another kind of glass barrier all too familiar. Forming a wall separating her from another soul._

 _"Locked doors will seal your fates no longer..."_

 _A big left hand leant on the surface of the glass. She tried to reach for it. She could guess the presence of a black circle pulsing at its ring finger. The sound of this voice, sorrowful but determined broke her heart and she felt herself crying._

 _Then another voice rang out, deep but smooth and suave, green eyes with red eyebrows in a square silhouette staring into the darkness beside her, but not speaking to her :_

 _"You must warn her : there's a Snake under the Castle. The Empire and her brother will find her soon, she must leave at once. And go much, much further away."_

She woke up abruptly and nearly all of the content of her dream left her head, and she laid there, in frustration of loosing it all again. Except for the last sentence.

"Lady Lunafreya." the voice of Gentiana ranged in the darkness.

"HOLY SHIT," she heard Crowe cursed, and she turned to see her take out one of her gun and aim at Gentiana.

"No, don't shoot!" Lunafreya cried. "She's a friend!"

"What?!"

"Her name is Gentiana, Messenger of the Gods, she's been with my family for a long time! Please, put down the gun."

Crowe glanced at her then withdrew her weapon.

"Okay, Lady," she deadpanned while standing up. "Next time it'd be nice if you announced yourself first before jumping in like that? Would be a shame if I shot you in the face because you just wanted to say good night."

"My deepest apologies, oh Glaive," the spirit said turning to her, and bowing her head slightly. "I needed to communicate an issue of the utmost importance to the Oracle. Manners were not my priority at this instant. The Servant of the spirits has been compromised. Your brother holds her in the Kingdom of Shadow's prison."

The "Kingdom of Shadow" was the name Gentiana tended to give Tenebrae, as opposed to the "Kingdom of Light", which defined Lucis.

"Oh no."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Hyacinth was taken, captured by my brother, she's in prison..."

"What?! But... She seemed careful enough! How can they possibly capture her with the way she managed your extraction?"

"Perhaps she... wanted to be used as a decoy... Gained some time for us...," Lunafreya said with a sigh. "Is she alright?"

"For now, dear Oracle. I can still make contact with her. But the longer she'll stay the harder it will be. However, I do not fear for her. The spirits like the wits of their servant. They'll watch over her. And her mind is strong. She told me however something that you must know. Your brother is confident he will eventually find you and that worries her tremendously so. The spirits told her of a great treachery within Lucis. It might be possible that they find you thanks to this."

"Treachery? So that was what my dreams wanted to tell me... But that means..."

"The King of Light is in great danger as well."

"An so will be Noctis if I join him to Altissia. If the Empire can follow me even when I'm with Crowe..."

"Okay, slow down there," Crowe called out while raising a hand up and pinching the bridge of her nose with the other. "What is it about those dreams? What do you mean the King of Light is in danger?"

"I'll explain," Lunafreya said while standing up too. Then she stopped : an image of her dream came back to her. "Crowe, did you get attacked by your fellowmen on your way here?"

Crowe started and stared at her with a dumbfounded look. She did't even care that Gentiana had left in a literal blink of an eye.

"How... How do you know this?"

"So it has happened," she confirmed grimly. "I'm sorry about that but I need to ask you a question : do you think the people that attacked you in that truck did this on their own?"

Crowe stared at her gravely. Then took out another gun than the first one, longer and more stylized.

"This is the weapon they used on me. It uses expansive bullets. Made in Nifflheim. They couldn't have found it on their own."

She opened the loader and showed a bullet to Lunafreya. There was the symbol of the Empire carved on its back.

"See?"

She nodded. Crowe asked while putting it away :

"How does it work? This dream thing of yours..."

"I do not have time to explain it fully right now, but basically, what Hyacinth can do with Tarot cards, I can do with dreams : spirits speak to me through them. And they showed me the moment you were attacked... Among other things... At least the things that I can recall."

She raised her eyes to her :

"And the King is in danger. If there is treachery in Lucis, it means that he is not safe... But..."

"I don't know about that... I mean, the King seemed pretty confident there wouldn't be any risk, he sent the Crownsguard away from Insomnia, and there will be only... The Kingsglaives... Left... To protect him..."

Crowe slowly came to realization.

"If there are traitors among them," Lunafreya said out loud what Crowe herself couldn't say. "That means King Regis is totally on his own."

"... Shit..."

Crowe reached out to her phone, then let her arm fall and she took her head in her hand while swearing continuously, louder and louder.

"I can't even contact them by phone for this, others could be listening...!"

"Crowe... I don't think there's another way around this..."

Crowe frowned, not understanding what she meant. Then she saw that Lunafreya already folded back her sleeping roll.

"Freya..."

"Crowe, if the King is truly on his own... Then I must go to him."

"I beg your pardon?"

Crowe closed in and locked her eyes in her violet ones.

"Are you out of your mind? This is. Not. Safe! Something is going to happen in Insomnia! It will be ugly, there will probably be dead people, and we're not even sure all the Kingsglaive isn't rotten to the FUCKING bone, we can't trust anyone in the Crown City, I'm not even sure I will ever see my friends again but..."

She bit her lower lip and tried to regain composure. She wasn't making any sense. She was starting to break down, the betrayal of Sonitus and his partners still hurting and confusing her. She took her head between her hands and started to pace in front of the dying fire.

"Crowe."

Lunafreya had walked up to her and she slowly took her hand between hers.

"I know it is dangerous. But I need to go there. I have to help the King, and I have to be sure of the intentions of the Empire before going to Altissia or anywhere near Prince Noctis... And there is also something else, extremely important, but I don't have the time to explain it... Please... Help me."

Crowe looked at her, utterly distressed. How could she possibly want to go to Insomnia after confirming herself there was traitors there? It was way too risky!

"But...," she said. "The chances of you dying there... I have orders, Freya. I won't be able to protect you as I should... I don't even know if I'll live coming back there, I don't even now how many of them have turned their back on us..."

"Do you know of people who might not have done so?"

Crowe frowned then she sighed.

"Yeah. Yeah I do."

"Perhaps they can help us then?"

She lowered her head, put her hands on her hips and paced again. Then she stopped, snapped her head back up and looked outside the house.

"Hush. You hear that?"

Lunafreya frowned and listened. There was a kind of...

"..A humming sound... An airship..."

"Shit. They found us. I don't even know how the fuck they did but they found us."

Crowe hurried to her bag and started to pack up.

"Crowe," Freya said while kneeling next to her. "You have to run away. Go to Noctis and protect him instead of me."

"No, we have to leave. What do you think you'll be able to achieve anyway? In Insomnia you'll be on your own!"

"I can't leave King Regis alone in this ordeal!" she insisted.

"Don't be so stubborn!" Crowe replied, positively annoyed. "What am I gonna tell the Prince when he will ask me why you're not in Altissia with him? And the King wanted to send you away for a reason! And didn't you have a mission to accomplish?"

"You don't understand, this is also part of my mission! King Regis must live because he's still holding on to something for Prince Noctis! I can't let him down, Crowe, this is too important, I have to do something, I need to go to Insomnia! Please!"

She was starting to shout and Crowe stopped what she was doing to look at her. Freya confronted her stern gaze for a long while before Crowe closed her eyes and took her forehead in her hand.

"Fine." she whispered.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said "Fine"!" she groaned. "But I won't go the Prince. He already has his bodyguards, they don't need my sorry ass right now. I'll follow you to Insomnia."

"Thank you!" Lunafreya sighed, relief overflowing into her.

"Okay. First, give me back the hair pin. Your brother will notice it. And take it away. We can't have that, it might still be useful."

"I'm letting him taking me there then?" she asked while giving the object back to Crowe.

"That's the most simple way, since he's coming this way," she confirmed as she put the hair pin back in its box. "My boss will know something went wrong as soon as you arrive, and he'll be on alert. Let's just hope he won't appoint a traitor to your security. You will be able to meet with the King, probably."

"Right. Then you have to leave at once. If my brother's men catch you, you won't follow me to Insomnia."

Crowe nodded, threw her backpack on her back and looked at Lunafreya.

"I'll take the car and go directly to Insomnia from here. I'll go from the second house on the right. I can be quick but I need a distraction."

"I'll pretend I'll run away from them," Lunafreya suggested. "They'll be too busy running after me to care about you."

Crowe snorted.

"If they have airships, you won't be out there for long. This will be really dangerous."

"Trust me," Freya assured with a confident smile. "I can be quick too."

Crowe looked at her then nodded.

"Alright then. As soon as they're on site, you go out through that hole in this wall, and run as fast and far as you can. Give me your bag. If we ever meet again, I'll keep your stuff for you. If... By any chance I can't be here with you in Insomnia, I'll make sure that a trustworthy person gives you the hair pin. That way, you'll know you can at least trust someone out there, okay?"

"Okay."

As she gave her the backpack, Lunafreya took her hand and shook it.

"Good luck out there, Crowe."

"You too, Freya. Hey, maybe we'll see each other tomorrow! Who knows."

"Then until tomorrow." she smiled.

They went in position and Crowe went into the car, one hand on the steering wheel, the other on the key, ready to start the contact anytime soon. Lunafreya and Pryna had settled next to the hole in the left wall of the house. A hand on the ground, kneeling against the wall, she only needed to see the light of the airship to "run for her life". The fire had now completely died out and only the moonlight's rays managed to enlighten the room through the broken windows and roof.

Then she saw the light of the airship passing by in the village behind the house.

"Now!" she thought.

She dashed out straight into the light, and she heard the Imperial soldiers shouting.

"She's here! After her!"

"They found us, Pryna!" she smiled to her dog. "Let's show them how fast we are, shall we?"

The dog barked in answer and they accelerated into the streets, not caring about the light of the airship following them.

Crowe wanted to wait for the airship to be further away before leaving. If she waited enough, they wouldn't even notice she was there.

Now how the hell did they find them? Something in Lunafreya's bag? No, she probably had been the only one near it, so that couldn't be it.

"Don't move."

Crowe had been thinking so hard she didn't notice the man that sneaked up behind the car and pointed a gun at her through the window. If she did anything she was dead.

"Hands up. Slowly."

She did as she was told.

"Now get out of the car. Do not try anything funny or I will end you."

Crowe reached out for the door handle, opened it and with the hands still up, got out of the car. She was now facing the man. He was handsome. Tall and slender, dressed in a black and white coat, with a large collar, he had a long pointy face, straight noise, blond hair and piercing violet eyes. That was without a doubt Ravus Nox Fleuret, Freya's brother. Pointing an Imperial gun at her face. She wanted to swear but at that moment, it wasn't really a good idea. So she put on her most annoyed face instead.

"Good." Ravus said while settling his back against the wall face to face with her. "Now you will tell me who you are and why you were escorting Lady Lunafreya out of Tenebrae and where you wanted to take her."

She snorted.

"No." she said

"No? As I seem to recall, I'm the one who's holding a gun."

"Why does it matter!" Crowe shrugged. "I'm the one who's going to kick your ass."

As she finished those words she sent her leg kicking his hand holding the weapon. He let it go and she took his large collar in her hands and slammed her forehead against his. He yelped but was still conscious. He reached for behind her head and grabbed her hair. He yanked her away from him and she groaned. With his other hand he took her by the neck, turned and slammed her against the wall behind them.

"You will speak or you will die by this hand," he hissed.

She barked a laugh.

"Make me!"

She hit him with the knee deep in the guts. He chocked and his grip on her throat weakened. She kicked him away from her and he hit the car. She casted a barrier around her fist, like Libertus taught her and hit him straight in the eye with a big WHACK! He was knocked down.

"You're lucky you're her brother," she panted while pushing him away from the car. "I would've killed you... That and also you're kind of hot, but you tell me if that actually saved people. Gracia, Bonny and Flavia were gorgeous and still they died... But whatever, you don't even see who I'm talking about... See you around, handsome."

She still concluded with a kick in his guts, and she heard him groan.

She went back in the car, started off the engine, crushed the accelerator under her foot, and got out of the house with the sound of the screeching tires under her. Once on the road, she heard the sound of a gunshot behind her. Instinctively, she hunched down, but the bullet wildly missed the small car and she looked into the rear-view mirror to see the far off silhouette if Ravus aiming at her.

"Tough bastard." she snorted.

But even if they were following her, their priority was the Princess and the airship was too far to turn back now and hope to catch her. Freya was really running fast.

"Please, Six hear me, please, be safe." she prayed out loud.

She just wished the Empire hadn't shown up that early. She could've get some hours of sleep.

When the airships passed by her after a good thirty seconds of intense running, Lunafreya slowed down, as if she was passing the finish line at a race. She ended it with a few last strides, while looking up to the Imperial vehicle landing in front of her. She walked for a bit to catch her breath, lifted her hands up and started to stretch her shoulders while the Nifflheim soldiers got down of the ship and started to surround her. Pryna, her long tongue out, panting, was sitting beside her, as if they were taking a rest after their usual morning run. As she let her arms fall down again, they were aiming their machine guns at her, but she was not worried. They just did that merely on principle. They couldn't hurt her.

"Don't move, Lady Lunafreya." A soldier called out. "We'll be forced to shoot if you try anything."

"You have me now, don't you," she snapped back. "Where is my brother?"

"He will be coming shortly," the sergeant informed. "Please follow us."

She stepped into the airship with the guards close, Pryna trotting behind her. They sat her in one of the front sits. Pryna jumped on her knees after she buckled up, and she petted her fondly while thinking back on tonight's events. After a few minutes of waiting, she heard angry footsteps on the metallic footbridge.

"Sergeant, we're going back to Tenebrae," she heard the voice of her brother bark. "Make it fast! We've been making the Emperor wait for too long already."

"Yes sir. Taking off now."

He passed by her sit and looked down at her. With a quick glance, he checked if she was hurt anywhere. When he was done, she could guess the pure outrage in his storming eyes.

"Is it too much to ask you to behave for just one bloody day?!" he hissed while hovering over her. "Is it too much to ask for a bit of cooperation on your part?! I'm getting tired of always cleaning up your mess, Lunafreya!"

She ignored him, not even giving him the luxury of a look.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?!" he rumbled. "This is for the good of our nations! Does that matter to you at all?!"

"What is the point of a nation if the world it is in dies?" she merely answered coldly. "If you do not wish to see this then you cannot possibly begin to understand, dearest brother."

He scoffed.

"I suppose you said that to your little Lucian servant?"

She snapped an angry look at him. Then she saw the big red mark on the right side of his face. She smiled.

"I suppose you didn't have the time to discuss that with her?"

"Don't be so smug," he snorted. "Tis only a question of time before we catch her."

"No, it is not," she stated with confidence while looking for something in her pockets. "If it was the case we would be going after her. But you have to take me to Tenebrae first."

Ravus said nothing. Instead he settled on the sit next to hers and took his forehead between his fingers and let out a deep sigh.

"Where were you planing to go anyway?" he asked bitterly. "You cannot possibly think you had a way to escape from us, can you?"

She got up from her sit, putting Pryna on the floor and went to kneel in front of her brother. She took out of her pocket a handkerchief and a bottle of water out of the pouch she carried with her.

"One can only hope, Ravus. And sometimes, that is just enough."

She wet the piece of clothe and covered it on the right eye of Ravus. It had started to bleed around the eyebrow arch. He hissed slightly at the contact.

"Don't move. We can't have this infected..."

"As if you cared," he rolled his eyes.

"I do. Do not doubt it. I just won't apologized for what she did."

"No, of course you won't."

They stayed that way for three minutes or so, him sitting, leaning his back and somehow relaxing, and her carefully cleaning up the wound around his eye. There was no anger or aggressiveness in this exchange. Sometimes, in each other's presence, the Nox Fleuret siblings would just let their guard down. Something Nifflheim agents always found surprising, but that was only because they always knew the bitter and cold sides of their relationship. They forgot that they were brother and sister before those twelve years of hard Imperial occupation. But those interactions were also a surprise for them both. However instead of rejecting it, they accepted it as the most natural thing. Because it was the only thing they had left of their past. Although Lunafreya was one who thought of the future...

"I miss the old days," Ravus whispered in a tired sigh. She felt him lean into her touch ever so slightly.

"I know," she smiled with the same tone. "Me too."

He opened his other eye while she took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

"Why do we have to be like this?" he asked, still whispering. "Why do you consider me your enemy? United, we could do so much..."

"I could ask you the same thing. But I will not discuss this now. We need our rest. You more than anyone else."

"Whose fault is that, I wonder." he said sarcastically.

She gave him a sad smile and brushed his hair away from his face, letting the handkerchief near his eye.

"Keep it," she said as he motioned to give it back. "Let me give you this at least, brother."

He sighed, then closed his eyes and pressed it again his eye.

"I will have my answers, eventually, Lunafreya," he warned as she came back to her sit.

"I know you will try," she conceded. "But until then, rest, Ravus."

She put Pryna back on her lap, and she heard her whine slightly as she looked at the worried face of her mistress. She caressed the comforting fur and tried to close her eyes, letting the constant humming of the air ship cradle her to sleep.

"We will need to be in shape for tomorrow." she whispered.

Her thoughts went to Crowe. Then to Hyacinth. Then to King Regis. Then to Noctis. She crossed her fingers and started a silent prayer, praying for the Gods and the spirits to keep them all safe. But she won't let fear win over her mind.

She thought that she felt safe around Crowe, and the fire she made in that abandoned house. Even in her own room, she hadn't felt safer, even though they were on the run from an all-mighty empire. But right now, her brother and her dog where resting next to her... She fell asleep almost immediately after her payers. This time, the gods granted her wishes of a dreamless slumber. No nightmares were going to wake her up this time.

* * *

 **I hope I wasn't the only one disappointed at the lack of development of Ravus' and Luna's relationship? If that was the case, then I hope this scene brought some kind of satisfaction. I wish to explore a bit more what's happening between those two, especially from Lunafreya's point of view, even though Ravus' development has also been terribly poor, even with the scene the devs added in the most recent patch. There is so much this universe has yet to explore and I hope I can manage to do it at the same time of the game, since so many dlcs are going to be added.**

 **I love to write about Hyacinth. I think she is cool, and I hope you share my enthousiasm about her. I took inspiration from the explosion seen from the trans woman Job from the TV show Banshee. This character is as chic and sophisticated as Hyacinth in mannerism and clothing but not so much for the speech. I'll let you check her out.**

 **I seem to have a lot of clumsiness in my writing, I must recall to you that English is not my mother tongue, so if you see any weird phrasing, please please, don't hesitate to point it out to me. I'd be really grateful for that.**

 **Next chapter is back to Insomnia, and we're going to enjoy some quality time with Nyx, Bert, and the rest of the gang.**


	7. 6 : Home Sweet Home

Chapter 6 : Home Sweet Home

"So let me get this straight," Captain Drautos said.

Crowe had managed to find her way back to Insomnia. When she arrived before noon by foot, with her backpack, the gate keepers gave her and her Kingsglaive badge a funny look. She hadn't slept for the whole night, she was tired and pissed off, so she said that if they didn't believe her that's fine, they just needed to call for any Kingsglaive to prove her identity. Meanwhile she had settled against the wall of their cabin, enjoying a short nap under the sun. Half an hour later, Pelna and Luche came in a truck to fetch her and bombed her with so many questions she just fell asleep in the middle of the trip.

Strangely enough, when she got to the barracks, she couldn't find the strength to fall asleep (if you can believe that). She was fine with Pelna and Luche, though she was so tired she didn't have the luxury to question their loyalty. But as soon as she passed through the dining hall, she felt them. The looks. She knew then instantly that what Freya and herself feared was true : the Kingsglaive was full of traitors. One could consider that it was just paranoia. However, Crowe had learnt to trust her instincts during battles. And this was closer to a battlefield than coming back home. Her senses were in high alert.

So now there she was in Drautos' office, hands clasped in her back, giving her report. The commander was taking his forehead in his hand. He was pissed off too.

Freya had arrived earlier in the morning. The Imperial delegation had been waiting for authorization and inspection of their ships to enter the Crown City. Drautos was supposed to leave now to pick up the Princess, who would be traveling alone with the Nifflheim ambassador.

So he was relieved that Crowe was well. But now he was going to vent.

"You manage to get out of Lucis, enter Tebebrae, go as far as entering the capital, getting out the same day with the Princess, thanks to her spy, mission successes, and then you get caught by the Empire in one night, and you lose the Princess, without having given her the goddamn hair pin, wasting every damn resources used for this mission... Though I don't think we will need the damn thing because we very well know where the Princess is : in Insomnia, where she's supposed to be the furthest away from!! So can you tell me exactly how one can mess up a mission that badly?!"

"I can tell you why," Crowe said without crumbling in front of her boss' wrath. "But not here."

The calmness and determination in his subordinate's voice got his attention. He frowned and then she rolled her eyes and used their sign language :

"Room compromised. Won't talk unless safe."

Drautos stared at her with perplex eyes but got up and made a gesture for her to follow him on the balcony of his office. It was hovering over a big crossroad with plenty of cars, making plenty of noise. No one would be able to listen anything from afar.

As soon as he closed the window behind her, she checked if it was noisy enough then told him about the attack from Sonitus and his friends :

"I don't think the man came back, did he?" she asked with a tired look.

"No he didn't." Drautos confirmed, frowning. "It's as you say. We haven't seen those three in more than two days."

"See? Titus, I don't think they're doing this on their own." She showed him the Nifflheim gun. "They shot me with this!"

While he looked at the bullets, she went on:

"I don't know how else they would've known about my mission without bugging your office. Remember, two years ago? When we discovered those little machines under the war table when we were in the Southern front? I think they put that in your room. I don't see any other way they could've pulled that off."

"Right. I see your point."

"That means there are traitors among us, Titus! And the Empire just got in Insomnia! They're probably aren't the only ones... What the hell am I saying. This isn't just all of them! There are more Niff agents in the Kingsglaive than the three that attacked me..."

She was debating whether or not she should tell him about Lunafreya's contact and abilities. But those where hers. It was not her place to talk to her boss about something that she didn't understand one bit. She wouldn't even know where to start...

"Look, I still have the hair pin," she sighed. "I can't get close to the delegation, Ravus Nox Fleuret saw my face. Nyx is still assigned to the Citadel, right?"

Drautos nodded.

"I warned Fr... Lady Lunafreya about the traitors, when we heard the Niff airship coming our way. I told her I'd give it to someone in Insomnia she could trust. Let me give it to Nyx."

"Nyx could be a traitor too, Altius."

She just looked at him as if he just told the dumbest and most absurd joke she ever heard. He snorted.

"Right. Good point, I suppose."

Drautos scratched his chin, thinking about it, then looked at her again and nodded.

"Very well. I will meet with him later in the morning so I will tell him you came back. You will fill him in on the rest of the situation tonight. I understand why you failed part of your mission, but if I don't reassign you, it will be suspicious."

"Okay. Just so you know, I won't be coming back to my place, this is way too dangerous. Can we... Titus, can we do something at all? Do we even have the time to stop them?"

The grim expression on his face showed that he had little hope.

"... Thought so... Fuck!"

"The priority is to protect the King and the Crystal."

"And the Princess."

"And the Princess, of course. Go rest for now, Altius. I'll try to come up with something in the mean time. I'll put you on patrol duty with Khara tomorrow."

"Fair enough," she sighed. "You have to warn the people around the King in the Citadel. Not the Kingsglaives. The others."

"Are you telling me how to do my job, Altius?" he deadpanned.

She snorted and dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand.

"I'm sorry, let me worry a bit, okay? This never happened before, I don't know how all of this works."

"I know. I'll tell you if anything changes."

He patted her shoulder.

"Right. Okay. By the way any news from Libertus? How is he doing?"

He stared at her, at loss for words. Then he sighed.

"Okay, what kind of face was that?" Crowe groaned. "What kind of bullshit did he pull up now?"

"Libertus left the Kingsglaive, Crowe. After you left."

She opened her mouth out of dismay and confusion.

What?

"If this is your idea of a joke, I will smack your face," she threatened, half joking, half serious.

He frowned at her.

"Then again I never knew what was your idea of a joke," she sighed while pinching the bridge of her nose. "What reason did he give?"

"Lucis betrayed his trust. And he also said he didn't want to be here for the worst days of the Kingsglaive. "

"Do you think... he knows something?"

"The coincidence is too big to my taste but I highly doubt it. He sounded more tired than angry. That is not the mindset of someone planning to betray us."

"True. Look, I'll try to look into this today, after my rest. Right now, I'm too exhausted to think straight."

Drautos nodded and opened the window for her to go back inside. After a last nod she took her backpack and left the room.

She stood there for a while in front of the captain's door, trying to think. Now that she was back and not dead as they wished she was, the enemies in the room were going to try something against her. She basically became the perfect bait. But bait for what? For whom? How was she going to use all of this attention on her? Will that leave more room to breath for Freya? For Nyx? And what could they possibly do to stop this madness?

She shook her head. She was literally sleeping standing. She had to go. Throwing her bag on her back, she armed her face with a disgusted expression and left the barracks with anger in her steps. This way, she could probably make the people in the lobby believe that her chat with Drautos didn't go well.

She took a bus to her flat, dropped her stuff, took a change of clothes and a shower, resisted the temptation to sleep on her bed, and went off. She didn't leave through the main door though.

She opened the window, and stepped on the emergency stairs, putting her sunglasses and jacket back on, along with her backpack. She climbed them up, and once she was on the roof, took a few step backs for momentum, she ran and jumped to the nearby building. It was a distance of two meters or so but a Kingsglaive could make it easily.

Crowe, as a safety measure, had memorized many different routes in Insomnia passing through its roofs, back alleys, cat walks and other flanking itineraries and shortcuts. When she had some free time, this was her own kind of fun and training. She always managed to arrive before any of her friends at their meetings thanks to all of those hidden paths. They always tried to make her confess her secret but she never revealed it.

Although because of the many construction sites popping here and there in the City, Crowe had to update those routes many times in order for them to be efficient.

Not that they were needed for where she wanted to go. Nyx's flat wasn't really far from hers, using her flanking paths she could be there in two minutes.

She landed and rolled on the building's roof, ran back up along the border, jumped down, caught the edge of the building to break her fall, then let go again and fell on her feet on the air vent circling the block. She followed it to the next back alley, and jumped to a small balcony, avoiding easily the many flower pots on it, as she usually did. She jumped from platform to platform, climbing up more and more, finally gaining Nyx's home. Again, bless the emergency evacuation stairs, she managed to reach his window. She took out her small teleporting blade and picked the very old and pathetic lock of the window to the main room with it. As she slipped in, she checked if she smelt the odor of incense sticks. It was how she figured out if he was around or not. Usually when he was home, it was always lit up. Which was not the case right now, though it was fresh. Probably missed him by a few minutes.

She closed the window behind her, and proceeded to sit on his amazing chair, the only cool furniture in the cheap apartment, to take off her boots and jacket.

She looked up to his board on the table under the TV, full of photos and newspaper articles neatly cut. On the left was a photo of two familiar women. She smiled and got up to open the drawer under the table. She took out a lighter out of it and lit up the small incense sticks. She then blew away the flame and they started to fume in this nice strong and warm smell. Putting back the lighter in the drawer and closing it, she knelt in front of the table and said while looking at the girl on the photo smiling and hugging her mother, who was also Nyx's :

"Hey Selly. I'm going to keep you company while Nyx's away, if you don't mind... It's been a rough day, really..."

She stared at the bright young woman's face for a while, then her glance drifted off to the articles and the drawings, Nyx's Kingsglaive diploma, signed by King Regis Lucis Caelum himself...

She had a kind of similar thing to that board, except it was this old white notebook she always had been carrying with her, what used to be her diary, back when she was a small, young, naïve and angry thing. Now she printed the photos from her phone and stuck them neatly on the old yellow and corned pages, she didn't really have the time to write much in it in the last few years, so she did crappy scrap booking instead. It was a good replacement though. She liked going through all the pictures and photos she gathered over time.

When she went back to her apartment, she took it with her in her backpack because it was the only material thing she truly cared about. She couldn't afford having the traitors mess with her things and find her old diary tore to pieces in the middle of it.

She had a photo of Selena Ulric in her diary as well. Nyx's little sister. Sweet, strong, beautiful Selena... With smooth black hair, almond-shape blue eyes, heart-shape face, with a thread of nacre coins circling her head.

She looked up on the table and saw some old enveloppes lying there. She took a pen and scribbled a note on the back of one of them, left it on the table then went straight to the bed, let herself fall on the hard mattress and just started to sleep, finally giving in to slumber. The incense guided her to it.

After a long wait at Insomnia's gates during the morning, the Imperial delegation finally entered the Crown City. Among the few officials that came, was Princess Lunafreya, her brother Ravus, the Minister of Foreign affairs, the new Nifflheim ambassador in Insomnia, and last but not least, Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt. Chancellor Izunia waited on the other side of the gate to welcome his ruler and his suite with an extravagant bow. He tipped his hat at Lunafreya and Ravus with a wry smile before walking up to the Emperor and exchanging a few whispers with him.

If one of the soldier escorting the Emperor and the Chancellor turned around towards the Nox Fleuret siblings, they would've seen the same expression of both suspicion and annoyance on their faces. One of the rare things they had in common was their utter dislike of the Chancellor and his hypocritical behavior. Among other things.

As an Oracle, Lunafreya could perceive things others couldn't, much like Hyacinth, but at a whole different level. While Hyacinth felt a great uneasiness from Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya could see, when he wasn't paying too much attention, a thick dark aura coming out of him. Last time she saw this, it lasted only a couple of seconds before he felt her stare on him and winked at her with a wicked smile :

"My, my," he'd chuckled. "Your mother never taught you not to stare at people so intently, my dear Oracle? People will talk."

"Indeed? Does that worry you, Chancellor? I wasn't aware you had enough shame to care about such things," she had answered with cold sarcasm, looking forward again.

"Such harsh words wound my heart," he complained dramatically. "I see you didn't loose your wit, my dear. But by all means please," he bowed deeply in front of her. "Do go on. I love to be the subject of the attention for such beautiful eyes."

She gave him a an indifferent look. But the aura around him was gone. He saluted her with a tip of his hat before leaving for the Imperial capital.

That was two years ago. She never saw that aura coming from him again. She gathered he got more careful around her. As much as he assured the opposite, he didn't seem to enjoy the fact that she could see things he didn't want others to see.

Lunafreya had yet to know what was the Chancellor's agenda, knowing well that it was probably very different from the Emperor's, but she knew he was trouble. She would have to be careful around him.

Something she didn't expect however, was to be happy to see Insomnia again. How long had it been since she saw the glorious Crown City? Fourteen? Fifteen years? Even with the war going on, the capital remained as dynamic as ever, its people had gathered in front of the gate to see their arrival and acclaim their coming, for they brought with them peace. From afar, she could see the silhouette of the gigantic twin towers of the Citadel, and at its center, the beam of the cristal, producing the war-proof wall that protected the city for now decades. In those towers was the man she considered as a fatherly figure. King Regis. She was worried sick about him, and even though the circumstances were dire, she wanted to see him badly.

She was trying to see how she could possibly warn him about the traitors among them and how she could help with the situation. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that as usual, there wasn't much she could do.

As she entered in one of the cars the Lucians prepared for the delegation with the ambassador, her expression was grim. She sighed then leant back in her seat. This kind of thinking was only good to wear her down. She must trust the gods to show her the way to the best possible income. She just hoped that the cost for it wasn't going to be too high. For now she had to relax. Or try, at least. And prayed that Crowe found a way back to the city and that she could meet with her at some point. She prayed that Bahamut gave her the strength to fight the spies and survive this ordeal.

When the car passed near the town center, it was stopped.

"What now?" the ambassador groaned. "We are already late! Please wait here, Your Highness, I'll see what's going on with those peasants."

A fine Ambassador, indeed, Lunafreya thought with a sarcastic raise of her eyebrow.

She merely nodded as he got out of the car. When he started to fret with the Crownsguard blocking the way, another car arrived and two men wearing Kingsglaive uniforms stepped out and walked towards them. The tallest one, dressed in red and wearing a cape and sword, brown hair cut short and square jaw, seemed to be the man in charge. Behind him was a smaller man, thinner and sharper, with black hair shaved on the sides and clear blue eyes.

"Do you even know who I am escorting?" the Ambassador continued to rant. "Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Princess of the former Kingdom of Tenebrae! And..."

"... and our Kindom''s beloved bride to be." the Kingsglaive interrupted.

The Ambassador started when he heard the voice and turned to see them come up to their car :

"Commander Drautos, I..."

"Welcome into our sovereign jurisdiction, Ambassador," said-Drautos declared. "We'll take care of things from here."

"But... I wasn't aware of... I mean you can't... I have to tell my superiors..."

As the Ambassador was rambling in front of the Commander's stern gaze, his subordinate opened the door for the driver to step out of the car and took his place, but not before greeting Lunafreya with a hurried bow.

"Your Highness."

When the car left the Ambassador behind, she started to worry whether this man was trust-worthy or not.

"Excuse me but where are we going?" she inquired, trying to hide the panic in her.

"To the Citadel, Your Highness," his voice was warm, reassuring, he was looking at her through the rear-view mirror, almost nodding. "The King wishes to speak with you before the delegation arrives."

She felt that he was telling the truth. His aura was confident, his speech sounded familiar... He seemed to be aware of her concern... Did that mean...?

"I'm sorry if I'm indiscreet but... Would you by any chance be a friend of Crowe Altius?"

"I am. Don't worry about her, Your Highness," he confirmed softly. "She arrived earlier this morning."

"Oh, bless the stars..." she sighed with relief, settling back on her seat, bringing her hand to her heart. "Thank you for telling me this, Mister..."

"Ulric. Nyx Ulric, Your Highness. But let's not talk about that right now. We've arrived."

She nodded and waited for him to come out and open the door for her and let him escort her to the Citadel. Once in the elevator, she started to realize she was going to see the King and her heart suddenly felt warm and happy.

She remembered the sweet memories of breakfasts in Lucis, of holidays Noctis and King Regis used to spend in Tenebrae, the stories of his travels...

The moment when she let go of his hand as they ran away from Nifflheim when the Empire came back in Tenebrae. The distress and sorrow on his face before he turned back and went further and further away from her, the strained smile she managed to give Noctis as he cried her name, still in his father's arms... Behind her, Ravus was begging the King to help them, kneeling in front of their mother's body... But Lunafreya knew better. The King couldn't help them. He had to get Noctis away from here. She smiled because she understood. But the small girl in her was crying and calling their names with fright and despair. She shut down those cries deep inside her and put her smile on. It was for the best. As the soldiers passed by her, she knotted her fingers together, closed her eyes and prayed for their safety, prayed that one day she may see them again...

Back then she wasn't as good at running as she was now... Had she run that fast, many things would've been different...

There was a shudder in her breathing as she waited for the elevator to go up. She gathered some composure and raised her head high. If she was to see King Regis again, she had to show him how much she'd grown, she wanted him to see that she wasn't afraid.

Whatever the Empire had planned for Insomnia, the will of the Gods was stronger. She had faith in Noctis and that he would fulfill his destiny, because she knew she was ready for hers. She was but a tool in their hands and she would serve them till the end of her days. She had accepted her fate long ago. And now she was here as the Princess of Tenebrae, but also as an Oracle, she would offer hope and guidance to the King of Lucis.

This fear is a burden that I must get rid of.

Finally the lift arrived at the throne room floor. She exhaled and stepped into the hallway, Nyx Ulric following her closely, hands clasped in his back. She waited for the announcer to call for her before the guards opened the door and she could see the throne room, light coming through high windows.

One who would enter the Lucian throne room for the first time would pause as entering the room just to awe in front of the profusion of golden details, sculptures, black marble floor and pillars, along with a ceiling going frighteningly high up, all of this brought out by the day light coming through the windows. But it wasn't because of the impressive beauty of the room that Lunafreya was breathless for a moment.

At the very end of this hall, standing alone in front of his throne, was King Regis. The toll of the Ring's and the Cristal's power on him was showing on his face, his hair grey, wrinkles, and a cane to help him stand up. Seeing him like this, weakened, strained, but still determined and dignified, after all this time wounded her deeply... But suddenly, she could see his expression even from this distance and the happiness in his look was worth all the trouble she had in the previous days.

Twelve years.

"It has been a long time, Your Majesty," she said finally, smiling broadly.

"Oh yes," Regis confirmed with a moved smile. "Far too long."

As she came closer to the throne, Regis asked simple questions about her trip, how the Empire had been treating her during all those years... She answered politely, not wanting him to worry about her. When she finished climbing the stairs, now closer to him, but not close enough to her taste, she ended the small talk.

"I gather Prince Noctis is not here, is he...?"

She asked something she already knew, but she needed confirmation.

"No, my dear, he is not."

He said those words almost as an apology. Though she sighed of relief, part of her was slightly disappointed. She had wanted to see him again for so long... Even a mere glimpse would've made her content.

"I am too old for this war," the King went on. "I had to accept this treaty... However, I'm afraid the Empire will take this opportunity to strike, and we are not ready..."

He linked his fingers together.

"Lunafreya, it's not too late, I can still ready an escort," the King pressed. "I wanted to send you both away from trouble, marry Noctis another place, somewhere safe... But that also failed, it seems. Even though my heart leap at the sight of you, Insomnia is the last place for you to be. Please, go to my son."

The begging and distress in his voice almost made her reconsider. She thought about it for but a second.

"No."

The King frowned.

"Wherever I go, the Empire follows, I fairly confirmed it yesterday. This will simply endanger the Prince's life. If I can protect him by doing this, then I consider it my duty. His destiny must be fulfilled. For now, I will help him more by being here than being with him."

She glanced at the Kingsglaive standing below, then looked back at the King.

"If you are aware of the actual situation, then know that I decided to stand by your side during this ordeal. I will help you in anyway I can, and support you as best as my skills allow me. At least you can count on me, Your Majesty."

The King shook his head, but with a small smile. He disapproved of her decision but her words pleased him more than he cared to admit. When he looked back at her, she saw something in his eyes that made her happy beyond measure : pride.

"I appreciate the thought, my dear, I truly do, but at this point, I doubt there's much we can do... I'm afraid we can just gain some time... and that this will put your life in danger as well."

"I do not fear for my life, Your Majesty, but I do not wish to despair either. I live to serve. I don't want to sit here and do nothing. If it is time that is needed, we shall keep them here longer than they wish for."

The King sighed, a strained smile lingering on his face.

"I wish you were with me sooner, Luna," he confessed. "I needed this spirit, a few days ago. But you must be tired from your trip. We will see each other later. Go rest. Now I must welcome the rest of the Imperial delegation."

"But when will you rest?" Luna asked, worried.

"Tonight probably," Regis gave her a sheepish shrug.

Lunafreya frowned disapprovingly and the King let out a laugh.

"I can take care of myself, Luna. I will be fine."

"... Very well. Please do not overdo it..."

"Of course. The same goes for you, my dear."

She gave him a small curtsey and left the throne room. Nyx parted with her when she arrived in her new quarters and switched the duty with a Crownsguard, bowing to the Princess before leaving.

Her luggage was already here. The room was smaller than what she was used to in Tenebrae, but it felt comfy. There was a large bed, windows with a view over the City, a couch and low table in front of them. On the side table, there was a small vase full of sylleblossoms. Lunafreya smiled and closed in to smell them, and during one fleeting moment, she was back in her field in Tenebrae, with her mother and brother, the sun setting behind them.

The King was full of these small attentions that warmed her heart. She wondered how he managed to get those flowers that only grew in Tenebrae.

She took off her fancy dress and changed into more comfortable clothes and slumped into the bed. At least, she will try to get some sleep while it was still possible. She didn't know if she would ever get the chance after this.

Right now, she knew that all hells would probably get loose tomorrow or during the following days. War was never that close to her as it was back in Tenebrae. However, as she fell asleep with her eyes on the bouquet of sylleblossoms, she never felt more at home than here.

 **Aaah, dear folks, I was so tempted to make a Nyx POV in this chapter (or in any chapter, actually), but even though this man is my favorite character in the whole friggin opus, we already got it in the movie and this is Crowe and Luna's story for now.**


	8. 7 : Plots and Galahdian brunch

Chapter 7 : Plots and Galahdian brunch

 _"Just you wait."_

 _The small, young, angry voice whispered in her mind. She was looking at the ashes of what was once her home. As a gigantic black cloud of smoke was rising from the remains of what used to be a small town in the mountains, she clenched her fists. Angry tears flowed down her cheeks, and she bit her lips. She was bare foot, dust and blood everywhere, every limbs hurting like hell, but none of that mattered. She wanted to scream but the monsters were still around and could hear her._

 _So she turned her back to her home and ran along the river, down the valley. She ran and ran and ran..._

 _"Just you wait... I'll take it all back!!!"_

oOo

Crowe opened her eyes.

She was in a familiar bed but not hers. The scent of incense and of something cooking floated in the room. Slowly, the events of the previous days came back to her and she sighed.

That dream again. It's been a while since she last had it. The thing seemed to taunt her more than ever now that she knew she couldn't hold that promise anymore.

She brought her hands to her eyes and tried to scrub the fatigue away from them.

"I'll take it all back...", she snorted. "Heh, right. What a fucking joke..."

She felt something like a bare foot being put on her stomach and she groaned as it shook her.

"Wake up, lazy ass," a familiar laughing voice said. "I made you breakfast, as Her Highness requested..."

"Geez, I was wondering why it smelt like burnt chocobo meat in here," she snickered while slapping his foot away from her.

"...Or you can just go fuck yourself," Nyx Ulric said with a smirk and a little bow, armed with a fuming frying pan full of eggs.

"Wow, chill out, drama queen," she laughed while sitting up. "I want those eggs, I'm fucking starving."

"I'll bet you are. Come eat your food, honey, and tell me about your day."

"Yesh, Moooom."

When they sat around the small kitchen table, she found that Nyx already prepared his famous killer brunch, with fried eggs, bread and honey, bacon, salad and tomatoes even, fruit juice, coffee, and Galahdians scones. As much as he pretended to be a snarky and cold bastard, when a friend had to eat, even though his cooking skills were far from great, he would feed him the best he could. Libertus was the real chef, Nyx merely his assistant, but he could prepare simple meals. Such as brunches. She loved that, she felt at home and eating felt comforting.

Nyx was messing around with his food, not quite drinking his coffee, watching her intently, waiting for her to speak, but still having this crooked smile he had while she ate in full contentment.

Nyx wasn't a good cook but the few recipes he knew, he did it well. The Galahdian scones were Selena's recipe. These and fried eggs were the only things he could manage properly.

When she finished her eggs and drank a sip of her coffee, taking the time to appreciate its heat down her throat, she looked back up at him. He arched an inquisitive eyebrow and she gave him a sheepish laugh, passing her hand through her messy fringe.

"Oh man, I don't even know where to begin..."

"Start with the attack," Nyx suggested patiently, taking a sip of his own coffee.

"How did you... Right, Captain told you."

"Captain told me," he confirmed. "But just the big lines, I don't know the details. I know that you got attacked by Sonitus, managed to get to the Princess, and that she knows for the traitors in Insomnia. The King gave her a chance to leave the City, but even knowing that she refused..."

She snorted.

"'Course she did..."

He frowned at her comment and she sighed.

"Okay, handsome, buckle up, because it was a very intense ride for me..."

And unlike with Drautos, Crowe explained every last detail of her trip to Nyx, not missing anything. It wasn't that she didn't trust her captain, but she knew Nyx since childhood. He knew things about her she didn't even know herself and the opposite was also true. This story, Nyx needed to hear it all. Also she couldn't hide anything from him. Especially not now.

"So... basically," Nyx concluded. "You were about to run away from the Empire... Why didn't you drive the whole night by the way?"

"Pains me to admit it", she grumbled. "But I was too freaking tired to manage it until our next stop. And I actually thought we were far enough so that they couldn't find us even searching from above. I have no idea how they got their hands on us so quickly, it has been driving me insane just thinking about it..."

"I hear you there... And you're telling me that after this... I don't know, this prophetic dream... She knew that you had been attacked by our own partners. And she wanted to go to Insomnia..."

She nodded. Nyx stared at her for a moment, rose his cup of coffee only to realize it was empty and he refilled it along with Crowe's. He was so focused on her tale he forgot he drank the whole thing in the mean time.

"That Hyacinth person told you that she had a duty to accomplish outside", he resumed. "And that going to Insomnia would block her way. And then you said she wanted to go to Insomnia... That's some heavy turn-table here."

"I know right? Well... she said the dream brought on a new factor. Something that changed her plans, like drastically. The traitors were important, but I think she was also talking about something else... Something that the King is holding on for the Prince... She didn't have the time to tell me more."

Nyx was chewing his mouthful mechanically, trying to think about the whole thing.

"Other than the whole plot against the King thing..," he wondered aloud. "There might be something else entirely to this story... Something much bigger..."

She nodded. They could agree on this. Well, this Gentiana lady was definitely a confirmation that otherworldly stuff was happening. But what exactly, she had no idea. She hoped that she would see Freya again to ask her the question. Hoped that she could see her again at all.

"Right," Nyx sighed. "We'll think about it later. Now's not the priority. What's important is..."

"To know who we can trust or not...," she concluded while putting her hands over her face. "Gods fucking dammit..."

"Now don't you cry on me, Crowe," he snorted.

"Dammit, Nyx," Crowe snapped, raising her head from her hands. "This isn't a fucking joke, this is our family we're talking about! Our brothers and sisters in arms, and we have no idea if they are rolling with Nifflheim! Can you imagine?! With fucking Nifflheim!?? I mean, it's like they forgot who's been attacking us for the last decades!!! What is wrong with those people!?"

"You remember Tredd?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm. "What he said after the announcement?"

She recalled the argument in silence. Somehow, his words weren't entirely devoid of truth. Indeed it sounded like a good motivation for traitors... She had hated this moment of division among the Kingsglaive...

Wait...

"Isn't that... what they want?"

Nyx arched an eyebrow, not immediately seeing what she meant.

"The traitors... Nifflheim... They want the Kingsglaive down. The King down. So they divide us... That's what... Fuck... That's what Tredd did back then, didn't he?"

Nyx's mouth became a thin line and he nodded. They sat there in silence as they realized they could put another familiar face on another traitor.

"Okay!" Crowe said sending her hands up in the air with a cheerful voice. "At least we are sure of that one! Isn't that fucking great?"

Again Nyx sighed. Then Crowe asked the question she absolutely didn't want to ask.

"What about Libertus?"

He rose his eyes to her, then he frowned. She bit her lip and went on.

"Don't you think it's weird? That he quit the moment when I come back? And tell the Captain we are compromised? Don't you think it's... weird that... he leave the ship that early?"

"Girl, seriously?" He laughed incredulously. "Are you actually suggesting that good ol' Bert is a traitor? An enemy spy? Him?"

"I don't KNOW, okay?!" Crowe snapped. "I have no idea what's going on anymore, a few days ago, someone I thought was family nearly shot me down!!"

"Libertus is even more than this! Seriously, Crowe, this is bullshit. He would've never shoot you. Never. You know this..."

She nodded and sighed of relief. Of course, she was sure that was true. But still, she wished Bert didn't abandon the ship this way. Gods knew they were going to need him.

"I'll visit him today," she decided. "Try to talk to him. If he's out of the Kingsglaive, maybe we can ask him to help. This is much more important than this treaty business."

"What can we do, exactly?" Nyx asked, almost annoyed.

Crowe knitted her fingers together and tried to think. Then she decided she was still really hungry and continued to eat her meal with ravenous appetite.

"So," she started with her mouth full. "We have to prove that Nifflheim is planning something. We know this, because we have traitors in our ranks. But how do we know this?"

"Because they attacked you."

"Because they attacked me. Right. But I was sent on a secret mission. So I can't tell that they attacked me because that would mean exposing the fact that the King sent me to secure the Oracle which belongs to the Empire, now, I'm not very good at this diplomatic bullshit but I'm pretty sure that this not something we want them to know."

Nyx nodded then frowned, taking a piece of bacon and putting it on a slice of bread.

"Then again, what would be the point of proving that the Empire is planning something? They're here now aren't they? That's what they want! To be inside Insomnia. Why?"

"For the Wall," she answered, pointing her fork at him. "They haven't been able to break it before. But now they're inside the City! They've never been this close before."

"So the point isn't to prove anything..."

"But to fucking break their plan!" she concluded fiercely.

Nyx nodded with his crooked smile.

"We know, or at least we are sure of one face amongst the spies. So... We can keep an eye on him."

"Yeah but we don't have much time until the ceremony, and I'm sure they'll do something after that... or on the d-day, for that matter..."

"I'll be assigned to the Citadel, so I won't be able to do much from there."

Crowe snapped her head up, and dropped her fork to go fetch her backpack. She took out the box where lied the hair pin and presented it to Nyx.

"You need to take this with you."

"Right. The hair pin."

"Yep. And take the watch as well. With this you have the coordinates of the thing. Give it to Freya, when you can meet her again, and she'll know she can definitely trust you. When will you be able to meet with her?"

"I'll be on patrol duty around the Citadel for the whole day tomorrow. The Princess is supposed to stay put in her quarters, so there'll only be the remaining Crownsguards around her."

"That's good. Pains me to admit it but those jackasses are now the only trustworthy people around here. Isn't there a party afterwards, though?"

"Right, I'll cover that too, with the Commander," he pointed out while taking his fried eggs in his plate. "I think there will be all the big shots there."

"If the whole Imperial delegation is here, she'll be as well. Give it to her then."

Nyx nodded. Crowe sighed then straightened up as she finished her coffee and took a Galahdian scone to fill it with jam.

"Okay that's that covered," she said taking a big bite, trying to regain some composure. "Now. One thing at a time. What are the Empire's targets?"

"The King... the Cristal... I doubt they care much about the Princess... I don't quite see why she's here other than for political stuff."

Crowe pouted. She wasn't quite sure about that. The Empire cared about their Oracle. But perhaps not much about the whole Oracle aspect, probably much more...

"... She represents a lot to the King I think. I mean, he went to all those lengths to try and get her out of this mess... Perhaps the Empire knows that..."

"And want to use her against him...?" Nyx finished.

She shrugged. Probably.

Technically, the wedding between Noctis and Lunafreya was to happen in Insomnia, then Lunafreya would remain there as Noctis' spouse and future queen. So it was normal for the Empire to bring her here. But the King, in a very bold diplomatic move, sent his son away from Insomnia. Theoretically speaking, Luche had explained, once Noctis is married with Lunafreya, which belonged to the Empire as Princess of the former territories of Tenebrae, Noctis once he was King, along with his heir, wouldn't be able to avoid the pressure of the Empire. With this wedding and the treaty, the Empire was winning on both fronts, on the long term. Furthermore, one would consider that by trying to marry Lunafreya and Noctis away from Insomnia, the King was trying to gain some time to think about the treaty and what it entailed. However, all of this thinking about politics and all of that, none of this was relevant, right now. Because this long term deal, even though it was advantageous, was certainly not what Nifflheim had in mind.

How did they know that ?

First, after Nyx told her about his meeting with Freya and her reunion with King Regis, it seemed that this was more about their safety and not so much about diplomacy. The King wasn't thinking about the long term because he considered it irrelevant in this situation... And that in itself was dreadfully revealing. Second, none of this mattered anymore because it was clear thanks to the Imperial guns in treacherous Kingsglaives' hands, that the Empire didn't give a damn about the peace treaty, and the King seemed to understand that all too well. So it was clear that the Empire's goal wasn't peace nor taking over Lucis in a long but insidious way. They wanted what was inside Insomnia right now. The King and the Cristal.

And... according to Freya... another very important thing...

"Today is the only moment I can do something at all," Crowe declared finishing her scone and taking another one. "From where we stand, we can't reach the big shots without starting the war again in this very fucking city. I would kill the Emperor myself if that could fix this mess."

"You're right," Nyx said shaking his head. "That'll only make it bigger than it is. And if that happens I don't think it'll stop to Insomnia. The whole country could suffer from something like that..."

Crowe nodded again. Then after a while she said :

"Let's follow Tredd around. Since I came back and the signing ceremony is near, that'll probably set their wheels in motion. There's not a better way to know what's next on their agenda. Once we know who he talked to in the next few days, we can see what he's planning more clearly, I think."

"Okay," Nyx nodded. "But I doubt we're going to have anything more than that... Let's agree on this : the Kingsglaive all of it, is not safe to have around the King and the Princess. If we can pinpoint who's trustworthy or not, that's good but we can't do much in two days... For now let's assume Luche and Pelna, along with Libertus are clean. The rest will have to be considered suspicious."

Crowe took hold of the last scone and glared at it before taking a generous bite.

"Awrigh'... Ish gonna be fun!"

oOo

Libertus lived in another block not far from Nyx's. Crowe just needed to go up, jump, and then go down. The emergency stairs weren't directly leading to Libertus's place. She had to pass through the hallway of his floor then knock at his door. It was too direct to her taste but it was better than passing through the main entrance.

When she reached his apartment she knocked the special code she shared with Nyx and him. And waited. She heard some heavy limping steps on the other side and a grumpy mumbling voice.

"Geez, Nyx I though you were still on..."

He opened the door. And saw Crowe.

"What the... Crowe?!! What the hell? You're already..."

She slammed her palm against his mouth to make him stop. She put her finger on her mouth and gestured him inside. He frowned over his surprised eyes then stepped aside and let her come in. He took a quick look to the right and to the left and closed the door behind him.

"What the hell was that for?" he exclaimed. "And what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Tenebrae?"

"Bahamut's balls, Bert, you need to lower down that foghorn you have for a voice!" she hissed. "There's been a change of situation, it's complicated, I need your help."

"My help?" he repeated incredulously. "What would you need my help for? In case you forgot, my right leg is useless, and I'm not part of the Kingsglaive anymore."

"Yeah, about that, I'm still wondering whether it was a good idea or not..."

She sighed.

"How is your leg doing?"

He made a face and reached for his painkillers in his pockets, took several pills and engulfed them, way too easily to her taste.

"I'll manage. I'm not doing much for now."

She took a look at his room and saw all of his stuff was out of their drawers, most of them were laying across his bed and the table. He seemed like he was packing up.

"You were planning on leaving? With that injury?"

"Hey, I'm the big brother here. I've had worse, and there's nothing left for me here, anyway. I'm better off at home. Especially if Niflheim will be there."

That answer was a direct stab in her heart. What did he mean by that? What about her? What about Nyx? What about the others? How could he say there's nothing left for him here?

She wiped away those questions from her mind. She didn't have the time for this.

"Listen. I need your help with something. Since you left the Kingsglaive, you might be the only one who can manage this. For now, sit down. I have a lot to tell you about. And for Astrals' sake, don't interrupt me."

After a long hour of explanation, Crowe stopped her pacing and turned in front of the silent face of her "big brother".

"You've been too quiet." she said finally, trying to get him to talk.

"Honestly, Crowe I don't know..."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"First, those guys that attacked you might not be with the Nifs. They could've find this weapons on the black market or something..."

"I would agree with you if the bullets didn't have the Imperial crest on their fucking butt. The folks on the black market always make sure to wipe everything that could lead back to the thing's origins. I'm telling you they got it directly from the Empire."

He went silent for a moment. This bothered Crowe. This was the type of thing that would make him roar in anger.

"I don't think you quite get it yet, Libertus. In case I did not make myself clear : _we have traitors in our ranks, a peace treaty supposed to be signed in two fucking days, and there cannot be traitors unless the Empire is planning something._ "

"And so what?"

What.

"I don't want to protect this King anymore, Crowe! And anything that's linked to him. I'm done with this! He didn't do anything for Galahd, I'm done fighting for him, or this goddamn city."

"As a reminder, he saved Nyx's ass when you were kids!"

"Well ain't he glad he did!!" he raised his voice. "With that he gained the best Kingsglaive in history. Because now Nyx might as well have forgotten his home and serve this half-ass ruler!"

"How can you possibly say that!!?? What is wrong with you?! Did you forget how much we've lost?! How much he's lost?! Did you forget the board at his place?!"

"I didn't!" he shouted back. "But sometimes I wonder what pushes him, or even _you_ to be so faithful to a man who was ready to sacrifice his country in order to save his fancy capital!"

"Okay! Whatever. I didn't come here to debate with you. But let me tell you something. I was nearly shot down by people I thought were family. And I'm not going to let them do what they want and wreck havoc in this city. I will claim the truth out of them. They work for a country that spent years and years of destroying one by one every village of this nation. If you want to stay here and witness this from here, I won't stop you. If you wanna go back to Galahd, then go. But I'm going to stay here."

"Why?"

She stopped and looked at him in confusion. He had the same expression. He didn't understand.

"I get it." he went on. "You wanna do something about all of this. But what's the point? Is it still even our business now that the capital wants to break the ties with us? Look back at it for a second. What did this city do for you at all? What did those people do if not use us?"

"Tche. I can hear Tredd hiding in there."

"Stop being so stubborn and answer me, at least! I thought you wanted to get revenge for your home town and your parents!"

"Yeah, but that's Niflheim's fault! An idiot could figure that out!"

"That's why we need to go back! To protect the people in Galahd! Not the people here! We can't let Niflheim do what they want with our home. Whatever happens here they're still gonna hurt us little folks!"

She stared at him.

"Then go back. Galahd isn't my home."

It was Libertus' time to show hurt on his face.

"How could you say something like that?! You spend so many years there! With us!"

"And I'm grateful! And I'll always be. You offered me a family, a safe place, a haven. But it wasn't my home. My true home, where I was born... it's gone. I'll never see it again. Those roots, I can never return to them. When I was saying "For hearths and homes"... part of me was saying it out of a will to protect... but in truth you're right, I... I wanted to get revenge!!! But not in a healthy way. Revenge on Niflheim for taking my family away from me! For destroying my village, my mountains and my forests!"

She bit her lips and put her hands on her hips, turning away from Libertus. She felt the tears in her eyes and she angrily wiped them away.

"I never...," she went on, her voice wavering. "I always felt empty somewhere inside, Bert. I always felt like I was missing something. And that desire for revenge was filling that gap but it didn't last long. And it was just until recently that I realized that. And now..."

She sighed and leaned her forehead on the window.

"Now... I'm just tired of this. The treaty was a slap on my face but I was already feeling the exhaustion. I think it started around the time Portia died..."

They stayed there in silence. For the first time in a long time, Libertus said nothing. Crowe knew that it was the first time she ever told him about all of this. She didn't know if he'd understand. She didn't have the luxury to think about it.

"The treaty was a kind of betrayal. But it was a chance of peace. A chance for us to finally take a rest and return to our bar in Galahd. A chance for me to finally go back there and heal that gaping hole inside of me... And they took it away. Niflheim, the traitors... They took that chance away. Bert, there's too much going on right now to sit there and watch." she concluded. "I'm done being powerless and silent. I'm going to do something about it."

She walked back in front of Bert's bed, where he sat there while they talked. She stopped as soon as she could look down at him again.

"If you want to go back to Galahd, I won't stop you. But I think that the most important and decisive fight will happen here, in Insomnia. And I need your help."

Libertus gazed at her, and suddenly the fact that she was above him didn't matter anymore. It was the big brother, giving her a look of both disapproval and sorrow. She felt like being that small girl again, facing her older sibling with a brazen look after another mischief of hers.

"Please. Bert..."

Libertus sighed.

"Honestly... when was the last you were actually "powerless and silent", hm?"

She snorted. And finally the heavy mood lifted between them.

"Alright... tell me what you have in mind."

The smile on Crowe's face was broad and triumphant.

There might be some hope left after all.

oOo

 **One of the thing that I was afraid of while writing this chapter was telling of Crowe's motivation. Since her character was so underdeveloped I asked myself the questions constantly : where her loyalty lies? What pushes her forward? Does she do it for someone? Does she have something to prove? To whom? Does she do it out of pride? Out of spite? I think there is a lot of spite in her... If that's truly the case... then she's not so different from our dear main antagonist. The difference might then lies in the meetings she will do later in the future, and what she'll make of them.**

 **While writing this I am myself full of doubts. Does this feel accurate and true? Does this feel relatable? Am I writing her correctly? Is there even a good echo with the shell of a character we were presented in Kingsglaive? I want to believe it's the case, but I still feel like there is a lack of depth. I want to go further and further with all of this characters. Discover them at their full potential... there's still much to be done...**


	9. 8 : From Insomnia and beyond

**Chapter 8 : From Insomnia and beyond**

After her talk with Libertus, Crowe left to visit the immigrant district through her hidden routes. Near the entrance of the area, there was a nightclub and bar called the No Man's Land. It was managed by a former Kingsglaive now retired because of a war wound at the leg, former Axes-squad leader, Magnus Green. It was known for being patronized by both immigrants and Insomnians, which was extremely rare in the Crown City, and yet it had been doing well for the last five years. Though it was not very fancy compared to others nightclubs, a fair amount of people came here every night to forget the war happening beyond the Wall. Sometimes, Insomnians and immigrants genuinely partied together and exchanged together.

Tonight though, the atmosphere wasn't really as celebratory. Even though upon entering, Crowe recognized some Insomnians regulars, most of the Crown City's clientele decided with a surprisingly gracious common sense to celebrate the peace treaty without immigrants to see them.

Usually after a round of Yama-chan's best meal ( _insert here a typical Libertus scoff_ ), their gang would go hang out at the No Man's Land, and finish their night there, dancing in the pulsing music and drinking until their wallet's became terribly empty and their walk wobbly ( _As Kingsglaives, though they had discounts, courtesy of the barman/owner_ ).

It was still early in the evening, and someone was playing a smooth melody at the piano on the ridiculously small stage in the back of the room, setting up a calm atmosphere. There was some customers at one or two tables, she could make out some more in the mezzanine, but no one on the wooden dance floor. It was too early for that, and probably nobody would dance there tonight anyway.

The place's walls were filled up with countless photos that patrons, drunk or not, would stick on, themselves, either of simple partying pictures or family picture, or dogs, or classes, or landscapes of Lucis before the war, or of pretty much anything. On the nights when Crowe and Nyx were feeling melancholic, they would sit on their favorite bench seat while their friends were lining up shots, and stare at the walls, whispering theories and speculations about the pictures around them. Needless to say the gang took a big part in the decorations of these walls, a lot of the pictures belonged to them, but were swarmed by the next ones over time, now creating a thick layer over the concrete.

Tonight Crowe brought one photo of her mage team, with Bonny, Flavia and Gracia, that they took together while partying here. She went straight to their usual spot, found some old adhesive paste left there, spotted the photo of Pelna's mother on her postman bike, the most recent one from their group, and glued it just next to it. She used to care about the pictures bellow, trying to make sure everyone could see them even with this apocalyptic and beautiful giant patchwork. But not this time. Somehow, Crowe had the terrible but weary feeling that those were going to be the last photos pinched on those dirty walls. No more were going to cover them anymore than this.

She took a step back to take in the fabulous and pathetic fresque of colored and printed photos, that almost reached the high dusty ceiling in some random manner

Once, a -very- drunk Nyx used his Galahdian blade to warp up there to glue a picture of Libertus, butt exposed while he was sleeping and put it up there in its white glory for everyone to see, while Pelna was cackling hysterically, Luche shaking with laughter, forehead on the table, Crowe cat calling viciously, and Bert protesting with very imaginative swearing. Being the Axe that he was, he couldn't even stop Nyx since his stomach couldn't bear the warping. It was one of their most hilarious moments. She spotted it and just next to it, the hole formed by the blade in the concrete and the stain of a Kingsglaive boot on the pictures bellow, suggesting that one of them took foot there to stick it there, out of reach but in full view. It was ridiculous, and Crowe couldn't help but smile at the memory. It was the only time she saw Nyx use the powers of the King for something else than job, save for a little playful fire warming his hands here and there. It had been nice seeing him loosen up so much, even though he showed some general aloofness, he could be way too level-headed when they went out.

She stared back at the girls for a long while, took a moment to mourn. They deserved at least that much, since she didn't even know if a letter was to be sent to their families after the upcoming chaos... maybe she'd have to take care of it.

"Crowe..." a gruff and gravely voice said behind her.

The man playing at the piano had stopped and come at her side. Wearing a red shirt under a black vest and impeccable black pants, he was smaller than her but he was thick and stout, a square silhouette standing next to her long, curvy one. He was leaning on a wooden gnarly cane, wore a black bandana covering a thick grey mane and a perfectly groomed dark grey beard was covering most of his round face. Thick eyebrows were looming over warm brown eyes and an upturned nose. You could guess a crooked smile by the way his cheek folded under the beard.

"Magnus." she greeted back, with a weary smile. "Nice to see your scoundrel face again."

"Likewise, brat." he laughed, leaning more onto his cane. He contemplated her for a moment and the stern gaze of her elder upon her made her sigh with tiredness. "You look troubled, Caw. Thought I'd hear you cackle by now."

She smiled at the monicker he usually gave her, in reference to her first name, reminiscent of both the loudest and most obnoxious bird in existence. Which -and she always had a hard admitting that- was fitting.

"Heard you were sent out in the wild," he added more quietly while getting closer and inviting her to a nearby table.

She sat at the bench seat, leaving him enough room to lay his hurt leg by the side of the chair.

"Eda, two whiskeys here," he called out to the barmaid cleaning glasses behind the bar.

"Right up, boss," the girl answered less cheerfully than usual.

"And I also heard," he went on, "from a common friend that you weren't coming back before a looong while."

That must've been Titus.

Crowe took a good look at the nightclub again and saw that some things were missing. There was a defeated atmosphere floating around and that saddened her greatly. But she could understand it somehow.

"I suppose you've been updated on the situation since then, Old Mag? You always knew more things than most..."

"You could say that," the man confessed with a sigh. "My stuff is packed, along with young Eda's here. It'll be our last night today, before the No Man's Land becomes truly what it was named after... We're leaving tomorrow..."

Crowe let her head fall in her hands and she let a deep shaking breath out of her lungs.

"I'm sorry, kid."

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked, laughing weakly. "It's good. You're probably better off out there than here. Just like most of us. But... I still hoped that someone trustworthy would stay behind with us. Your help would've been amazing..."

"I'm not so sure about that... Hold on... You're staying? Now, Crowe... You know it's not gonna be pretty. I doubt you'll be able to do much..."

Eda then came up with the two whiskeys. They raised their glasses :

"For hearths and home."

"For hearths and home."

They drank but Crowe didn't really like it, though Magnus knew her well enough to see that she needed something strong. It burnt. After taking it in, she answered.

"That's precisely why someone has to stay. And not doing much is already more than what the Empire expects, since potentially half of the Kingsglaive roll for it now..."

"Not just them...", she heard him mumble.

"What's that?"

"It's not just them, kid... The people in this district... Look, I know a guy called Pruvia Colpus, born in the Southern regions. He started to talk a bit, I heard things, Caw, they're not happy about the treaty, not happy at all. Some will leave the City and I'll be among them. But he and his friends will stay. And it's not to fight for the King."

"... Fuck... Well I needed a lead anyway. Do you think..."

She leaned closer.

"Do you think the Kingsglaive spies and this Pruvia might work together?"

"Might be. But I'm not sure. And if you investigate that further, you might end up eaten whole."

"You kidding me?" she snorted behind her glass. "I am tough meat, Magnus. The guy who thinks he can eat me better have a jaw made of steel. And even if that was the case, I'd break it anyway."

He gave a rumbling chuckle at her fierceness.

"That's the Caw I know. But you still gotta be careful."

"Don't worry your sorry ass too much, Mag. You got your own to take care of. Where can I find this Pruvia?"

"Near the old mall, in the south of the district. There are some old arcade games there, this is where they meet up."

"When?"

"Tonight, I think. I don't know if they've planned something specific yet, but they're not going to let go this treaty business."

"Figured as much..." She drank a sip and made a bitter face. "Shit that thing's really strong!"

Magnus chuckled at that.

"It requires a specific skill set to taste that drink properly. But since the situation is dire, I authorize you to do whatever the fuck you want with it."

"Thank you, master Green," Crowe said pompously. "Anyway, jokes aside, where are you headed next?"

"Niobe's turf in Lestallum."

"Isn't Lestallum under the Empire's rule?"

"It is, but right now, their attention is focused here and their pretty lax around this part, or so I've heard. Niobe sent me a message through the underground channels and invited me there with lil' Eda here. At least we'll have a roof over our head and a decent job."

"It's working alright for her then?"

"As best as can be in those times, believe it or not."

"That's nice... Listen, in the off chance that I manage to get out of here alive and with my folks, just be ready for us there, tell her we might come next."

"Alright, I'll tell her, Caw. Now answer this before you hurl my precious whiskey : what the fuck are you planning to do?"

"As much as I can do from my position : wreck havoc among those motherfuckers!" And she downed her drink in one shot.

He laughed at the face she made and when she asked for water after that.

"First, I'm gonna try to see if the guys working with Pruvia are also working with the Kingsglaives. If so, I'm gonna misinform the heck out of them, destroy their resources and so on, anything to slow them down... I won't let those idiots have the last laugh!"

She drank the glass of water in a blink of the eye.

"I have to wonder Crowe..., why are you not leaving? It would be easier than staying and hoping for the best..."

"Been there, done that, not interested." She dismissed the suggestion with an impatient gesture. "I chose to wage war, Magnus, if I wanted things to be easy, I would've stayed in Galahd with Aida and Chloey. And I'm not going to hope for the best. I am going to do my best. There's a difference here."

Her mind was then flooded with nostalgia when she said the names of Libertus' and Nyx's mothers who took her in when she was just a small angry thing and gave her a home and the love a family.

"But why do you fight for Insomnia?!" Magnus insisted. "Let this town to the Empire, leave with me! There's still room in the van!"

Crowe hesitated. But only for a few seconds. She sighed and shook her head.

"Maybe some years ago, I would've accepted your offer, Old Mag... But now... I know Nyx won't leave. He owes the King. I can't leave him alone. Portia died to protect us, but she would've done the same for Regis. She was always very clear about that. What kind of Kingsglaive would I be if I don't protect the one who's in my function's name? I am the sword of the King. I made an oath, I am bound to it, as much as I hate that. I won't let the Empire spoil it... and also, right now... I don't think all of this plotting is just political... I met the Oracle, Magnus, and this girl is the real deal. There are a lot of things that we don't know... I want to know about them, and she has the answers. And I want to protect this girl."

"Why?"

"Because she's also about this stuff. For hearths and home. She gets it... And I haven't seen that in any other noble here..."

They stayed silent.

"What makes you think waging war is more difficult than waiting for it to end, Crowe?"

She frowned at his remark and she leant further into her seat, intrigued.

"Sometimes, resorting to violence is easier than letting it go and being patient. You'll see when you're my age... or even that old King's age. Deciding to sign the treaty after such a long conflict... I don't think Regis is sleeping well tonight, if at all... Probably one of the most difficult decision he ever took..."

"Sorry, if I offended you, Mag," she said, though she was still confused. From her perspective, war had never been easy. It was difficult for her to imagine it could also be hard for the people in Insomnia, since the easy going life the people was leading here was rather undisturbed by the battles.

"Nah. You're good, kid. Just... think a bit about your old Mag's ramblings. I'm old but not that dumb."

He grasped her shoulder and shook it lightly as encouragement.

"Chin up, Crowe Altius. May Bahamut watch over the mayhem you're gonna do in here. Because it's the best kind of mayhem. Those jackasses ain't seen nothing yet!"

"Thanks, Magnus. And may he watch over your people. You'll need that in your travels. And thanks for the drink."

"My pleasure. Alright. Come gimme a hug. You never know what can happen, so just in case..."

"Just in case!" she laughed softly and embraced the small old man.

They stayed like this for a while before he patted her back and she let go of him. She gave a quick hug to Eda and left with a wink to the owner.

 _Now, focus_. There was stuff to do.

She contacted Libertus and told him about Magnus and about this guy called Pruvia.

"So this guy is trying to plot something...?"

"According to Magnus, yeah."

"Alright. I'll go and see for myself."

"Bert, you'll basically do a spy work, and that's not your forte."

"I'll be fine, Crowe. I will tell them everything I know about the Citadel. And then I'll tell you what they're planning and we'll be fine."

"Just be discreet about it, eh?"

"Oi, kid, friendly reminder, this ain't my first infiltration mission, so a bit of trust please?"

"Yeah sure. I'll be seeing you tonight at your place alright? I'll follow Tredd on my part."

"Okay, you too be careful."

When she hang up, she saw Nyx sent her a text. He went quickly to the Citadel to "confirm his assignment" but he just wanted to check Tredd's so he would be easier to follow :

"Tredd assigned to night patrol in the Immigrant district, south, on personal request, apparently. Watch yourself yeah?"

 _Well well well. That was interesting_ , she thought. Precisely in the area where Pruvia was. There might be a connection between them after all.

She cursed and went through her secret routes back to Nyx's place and prepared. She examined the maps of the district and the hidden paths she knew around there. She gave a quick call to Pelna.

"Hey, handsome."

"Hey, gorgeous," he answered playfully until he noticed her tone. "Did you have a good nap?"

"The best, sweetie. Fully rested and fed, thanks to momma Nyx."

"Well, that's grand... Now will you tell me what's up, darling?"

She smiled because he called her out immediately. Always more perceptive than he let on, that beautiful Pelna...

The pet names was a thing between them. Pelna when he first met her, had a thing for her, a massive crush even, part of her thought he still kind of did. The flirting was awkward at first, and though she thought he was sweet, Crowe didn't have the mind for a relationship. It was too hard, especially if it was a fellow Kingsglaive, that could easily die on the battlefield. He understood, but still went on and made the flirting blatant and obvious, funnier, smoother, which always made her smile, flattered her, it felt good, felt like they weren't waging war out there, and that was his goal precisely. At some point, they started to have some trysts with a pure physical relief function that they both needed. And she had to admit he was an amazing partner on that regard. They still did it once in a while, but it never went to a more romantic relationship, and even though it hurt him a bit, they were fine with that. Their friends however could never confirm their relationship, especially with the playful flirting and teasing they started to exchange and they kept doing it just to drive them mad. It was their own private joke, and even though she wasn't sure she loved him back, it was nice to have something so personal with someone other than her brothers.

"I need your help, Pel." she said finally. "I'll explain tomorrow night but I need you to check something for me in the Immigrant district in the mean time. Can you do that for me?"

"Anything for my lovely bird." He said with a tenderness she was certain was more than just playful. "Tell me more."

"Every Crownsguard report about the immigrant district in the last year."

Silence.

"Holy shit, honey," he gave a shrill laugh. "Do you know how many there will be?"

"A lot-"

"A fucking LOT, that's what!! It'll take me the whole night to cover that..."

"Tell you what. Before going to bed, leave your window open, and I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow. I'll explain everything."

"Will you be the breakfast?" he said with a tone so innocent it made her laugh.

"We'll see... It'll depends on your results, I guess."

He sighed.

"Alright. But lady, you are busting out my day off. Imma get you back on that!"

"Can't wait. See you around, sexy."

"Mouah!"

She smiled sweetly at her phone. _What a dork._ But a talented tech genius, nibble-fingers kind of dork. Most of the Kingsglaive relied on his intel on the Niff technology, he was the only one who could understand it. The best part was that he just liked fussing over it, out of curiosity. He was a dork and a massive nerd. And he was also the one dealing with the satellite info and the maps coordination. No one would ever guess that this soft, easy-going, smile-bright-like-the-sun boy could kill you with his knife, his computer... or in bed.

 _Now. Enough daydreaming about that_. Maybe she'd get to that kind of distraction later.

Tredd the Furious. Time to take care of the asshole.

 **So it has been a while! But worry not I did not forget about this story. I'm way too obsessed/frustrated with this game to forget to about it, especially with its both satisfying and frustrating many updates.**

 **This chapter lacks a bit of content, I'm trying hard to make this ride coherent on every possible angles, but damn, I fear that this shit is getting too thick, yet I just can't help extrapolating. Nothing can be simple eh?**

 **Hope you still enjoyed it, I will try to write that next chapter soon. But I can already tell you that there's going to be some sneak and stealth**.


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